11-11
by HeliumFilaments
Summary: *REVISED* Out on the Frontier, life can be challenging. Life sometimes deals you a good hand while at other times, you are left out in the freezing cold. For two Pilots, soulmates do exist but are often flung across the stars. After years apart they find each other again and realize that time doesn't heal all wounds- actions do. -edit; fixed all and forgot to re-upload.
1. Magnetism

' _MAGNETISM'_

"Good luck, Pilot."

A flight marshal MRVN waved its light batons towards the loading bay, the Stryder's legs swaying and clicking as he entered the ring and prepared for Titanfall. A heavy sigh of anxiety filled the cramped cockpit of the Titan as the drop pod lit up with rows of orange lights. The worn soles of the Pilot's boots had graced the terrain of many planets during his lifetime yet after nine years in the field, he still wasn't used to the intense rush of adrenaline shooting through his veins. Every drop was like the first time and while many veteran Pilots longed again for the feeling, Kain wished he could become indifferent to it.

"All systems go, you got the green light. Titanfall ready."

Before he could open his mouth the floor pulled apart below him and they plunged into the atmosphere. His knuckles gripped the straps of his harness as his head flung backwards, body rattling as they broke through the sky. His heart raced like a hunting Prowler as the screaming wind threatened to split apart his ears. Seconds felt like minutes and before he was ready the Ronin touched down with a heavy thud. The Pilot's torso lurched forward and nearly emptied the contents of his stomach all over the Titan's ocular screen.

"Welcome back, Pilot." Came a smooth mechanical drawl. Kain sighed with a stale, unimpressed stare towards the Stryder as he sat up. He slumped into his seat and let out the breath he'd been holding since breaking orbit.

"You know, just because we've been retired for awhile doesn't mean you have to address me as 'Pilot', Z. We've got history."

A light chortle filtered through his helmet, "You've abandoned me whilst chasing pipe dreams of becoming a hero. Me calling you Pilot is more of a common courtesy than referring to you as 'asshole'."

Kain's lips twisted into a big grin as a hearty laugh rumbled through his chest. After such a hiatus from the field he had to admit it was good to hear that the machine retained his dry sarcasm. His laughter eventually died down but his smile remained as he patted the glass of the Ronin's screen,

"It's good to be back. Thank you, Zero."

"Anytime Kain."

The Ronin took a few steps before he stopped, legs jerking backwards in surprise. Kain's brows furrowed as they stood now completely still.

"Everything alright?" He inquired, his words going unanswered.

"Z, what's going on out there? Are we in danger-"

"Quiet," The machine halted him, "You'll see in a moment."

Kain swallowed dryly. Zero let out compressed air through his venting unit, his version of a deep exhale before powering the glass panels within.

"Ocular systems restored."

The man's face instantly lit up with the bright visage of peach colored sunlight and he had to shield his eyes with a hand to keep from going blind. This planet was just as new to him as it was Zero and the duo took a moment to take it all in as the raw beauty encompassing their position flooded them with as much warmth as the sun. Words slipped his mind as he sat staring out at the world with as much awe as the Titan did.

The immersive landscape spanning before them was spectacular; sweeping white pinnacles seeded with thin red maples tucked beneath low hanging clouds draped sparingly across a deep gorge hidden under an ocean of fog. The air had just the slightest tinge of sweetness as both Pilot and Titan inhaled and savored the pure silence of the wild. Typhon, they'd called it; a planet bursting with life and mystery. The IMC were up to something down in the jungle and Militia forces periodically sent spies to try and figure it out. Kain had escaped that fate several times until today which, ironically, fell on his birthday. He shook his head at the idea of dying on the same day he came into this world, let alone on some remote planet hardly anybody knew about. Lately it seemed the Universe was enjoying toying with his life a little too much. He couldn't be too mad, though; at least he'd go out with his Ronin by his side and that was something to smile about. His eyes lifted upwards as Zero pointed out something in the distance.

"Wow, would you look at that..." Kain brushed his jaw with his hand, now looking up at the scattered fragments of Typhon's moon hanging eerily above them, seemingly frozen in time in the wake of its destruction. The Titan shifted backwards as the loose rocks underfoot crumbled away and a warm gust of air pummeled them upwards from below, realizing they were sitting on a massive precipice.

Here, right now was peace. Overlooking the sky's breathtaking view felt good and the content smirk upon his face went unnoticed. Given the choice he'd much rather stay here and contemplate the meaning of life than return to his duties, but as expected it wasn't long until Zero's synthetic cough caught his attention, effectively bringing him back to reality.

"As much joy as it brings me to see your eyes light in wonder like a child, I'm afraid we have a mission to uphold."

"Hm, guess sightseeing's over then," He retorted as Zero disabled his Auto-Pilot function. Kain took over control, feeling a little more at ease now that his legs became that of a Stryder. The ground creaked underfoot as he pulled them away from the cliff's edge.

"Alright, let's get to work; what are the coordinates Corp. Karangula gave you?"

"Marking them on your HUD now. Distance; 52 kilometers, NW. May I suggest we embark North along the mapped route?"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, buddy." His Pilot teased, the Ronin tapping his cockpit loudly with a fist in annoyance and with that they set off.

This part of Typhon hardly matched the descriptions read to him and the other Pilots aboard the ship; whereas he expected dense jungles and thickets they were suspended atop a mountainous region shrouded in clouds. Zero seemed to think he had an idea of where they were going which left Kain skeptical as to how. Regardless he opted to trust the machine, an instance that was practically non-existent years ago.

Their mission briefing wasn't very thorough; instead of having the guts to explain it face to face, his superiors chose to send Zero to relay the information to him, a shoddy cop out if he'd ever seen one. Kain and his Titan were to drop on Typhon and extract information from a marked region hidden deep in a network of valleys. Seeing as Kain had been retired for nearly six years, it seemed to have made perfect sense to his commanding officers to use him as an expendable. Given his history as a flight risk as well as being MIA for another four, he fit the role well. The success rate of completing this objective and reaching evac was horrifyingly low yet somehow they'd must have figured he'd do it. If anyone could pull this off it was Kain, for he was one of the most inexorable spirits one would be fortunate to meet in their lifetime. His story however was hardly known but as his Titan put it, _'you had to be there to witness it.'_

Eleven years ago Kain was Kyle Phillips; a prospective young Pilot with far too much ambition and a dire need to make the Frontier a better place. His impulsive need to save people brought him to many a dark place but within that darkness he met ZR-1177; a refurbished Ronin without a Pilot whom would eventually become present day 'Zero'. Together they weathered the storms plaguing humanity and pushed back countless IMC forces. They were two kids so determined to set things right that they inevitably got lost along the way. It was when Kyle made a grave decision that would unfortunately rip their world apart when he decided to solo a mission on Valor-4.

It took a little over two and a half years for Phillips to return to civilization but when he did, he wasn't the same. The shame of his actions under his birth name were so despicable that he left it all behind, adopting a new alias; Kain. He'd read the stories and as he washed his sins from his bloodstained hands felt it was an appropriate punishment for himself. Ever since that day he compartmentalized his emotions and secrets, vowing to hide them from the world he nearly died to protect. The only thing he refused to hide was the fact he was eternally grateful for remaining friends with Zero, despite the horrible past he drug the Titan through. If it weren't for him, he swore he'd be lying dead drunk in a ditch back in Kuiper City.

Zero's footsteps skidded hastily across the thick sedimentary rock as the Ronin sprinted down a steep incline. The outside temperature began to drop as they began their slow descent down the side of the mountain. Clouds soon gathered at their feet as condensation began to bead upon Kain's ocular screen.

"This certainly isn't the first trek we've been on, I know, but I'd be willing to bet this is one of the strangest."

"I'd reckon so." Zero replied rather distrait, choosing to focus on keeping the visual feed clear of precipitation. The fog was pea soup thick and Kain's claustrophobia began to chew at his seams.

"You know, it's been awhile..." He exhaled quietly, leaning back into his bucket seat. He lifted his hands from the throttle and flipped an overhead switch returning full control to Zero. The Ronin paused momentarily in confusion.

"Kain? Are you feeling well?" He asked cautiously.

His Pilot removed the helmet from his head, "Why don't you take this one? Might be easier not having to wipe off your face every few seconds just so I can see where the hell we're going."

The Ronin remained silent for a good long moment, presumably deep in thought. Nevertheless he proceeded to the route, skirting through the thick haze much quicker than Kain did.

"Thank you." Came a soft, grateful reply. Kain smiled.

"Anytime Z."

He clasped both hands in front of him as he lie back, closing his eyes. With 45 kilometers remaining and a long road of unknown terrain before them, he figured he would let Zero tackle it while he got some sleep. Through the years he'd become accustomed to it and slept best in a cramped Titan chassis.

* * *

 _\- "Phillips!"_

 _The man dared not move. Shrapnel shot through the air as exploding mortar shells cracked above him. His eyes glassed over, the impact of the concrete slabs slowly crushing his twisted limbs. The ringing in his ears drowned out the battle about him and he lie motionless, completely devoid of life. Militia grunts tore through the rock holding him hostage and eventually freed him yet it didn't matter, only a singular thought encompassed his mind at this point; the face of the one person he'd come to count on and slowly began to trust had inevitably killed him._

 _"Come on, we've got to get him to evac; he's the only Pilot we've got left."_

 _Hurried footsteps and what felt like ten pairs of arms engulfed him as he slowly closed his eyes, accepting his defeat. -_

* * *

An abrupt jolt woke him and the harness now choking him sent him coughing. Wiping his eyes as he regained his breath he tapped on the screen,

"How are we doing, Z?"

"We are close. Do not worry." The Titan reassured him. Kain grimaced slightly, something in his gut putting him off about their current situation. The red beacon usually displayed at the upper right corner of the Titan's sonar visualizer had now gone dim and Kain's stomach slowly began to sink into a pit of worry.

"Zero, where'd the radar go?"

"Radar inactive to preserve auxiliary battery life."

That was hardly the answer he'd been expecting. The Titan's persona now seemed rather, odd..

"Okay, so how many clicks until we hit our mark?"

"19 kilometers."

"Oh, wow," He sighed, the hair on the back of his neck beginning to prickle, "How long was I out for?"

"Around 49 minutes."

Zero's tone was far too nonchalant for Kain's liking. That, and the fact they were making stupid good time despite this being their first drop on the foreign planet set off alarm bells in his head. Zero's navigation through the alien terrain was much too precise for this to be coincidence. Kain kept his eyes fixated on the black screen as his lips parted, hating the fact that he couldn't keep faith in the machine.

"Z, this doesn't add up." He barked. The Titan's stride quickly slowed to a slow padding, the AI attempting to further what was starting to look like a diversion,

"Corporal's orders. We have our directive." He tried to reassure his Pilot, but Kain wasn't having any of it.

"Corporal's orders? Since when did a grown up Grunt start dictating what we do? I'd like to see Jed come down here and fish through this shit on his own."

The Titan wanted to correct him, but felt it was best to bite his tongue.

"Zero, what the hell are we even doing here? I know we are supposedly scouting but something about all of this just feels...off."

He placed his hand gently against his screen, "I know deep down you're thinking it, too."

The Ronin lowered the Leadwall in his hands as he came to a stop. Kain had struck something within him and continued to slowly worm it out of him,

"I'm not mad - not at you anyway. If you know anything, Z, I wanna hear-"

Zero interjected sharply, disappointment in his voice, "-perhaps you don't."

Kain shut his mouth. It was transparent now that Zero was hiding something. The Ronin knew he'd find out eventually and rather than continue to hide the truth decided to do the right thing.

"Please put on your helmet- I have information that has been withheld from you and I would prefer if we spoke about it face to face."

The Pilot slowly nodded, doing as he was told. The Ronin's chest hissed as his hydraulic doors folded open, revealing Typhon's atmosphere to Kain. In an instant his visor was dusted with water droplets as an icy breeze rattled him to the bone. Zero knelt down as Kain slowly rose from his seat, wiggling free from his harness straps. His feet made a dampened crunch onto the rock below as he jumped from the cockpit, wiping his helmet before looking into Z's blue eye with concern. An eerie silence filled the air making any sort of movement echo about them and for the first time in a long time, Kain was genuinely scared.

The Ronin was the first to break the silence, "I may have twisted the truth a little," he began, "I felt I had little choice in the matter."

Kain's hands quickly rolled into fists. The thought of anyone forcing Zero against his will made his blood boil. After everything his best friend had to endure -no thanks to him- it was understandable that he became a little overprotective of the towering machine.

"What do you mean? Little choice in the matter - Who did it. Tell me, Z; _who_ the hell put you up this?"

Kain's reaction was explosive; his aggressive tone brought back many an unfriendly memory and the Titan promptly shut down, diverting his stare elsewhere on the horizon -if one existed where they were at. His Pilot snapped his fingers, drawing the Ronin's attention back to him,

"Come on, just tell me. You aren't going to catch any shit for it- if anything, I'll be reaming out whoever sent us down to this shithole tenfold, understand? _Just give me a name_."

Zero simmered in silence, tapping his fingertips nervously along his Leadwall. Perhaps Kain wasn't ready to hear the truth. He hated lying to his best friend but in a situation as fragile as this, it was a necessary protocol. Time was said to heal all wounds and was something that would be put to the test.

Kain took a deep breath, exhaling audibly as he dispelled his anger. Titan AI's were rather sensitive towards their Pilots and Zero was no exception. If he were to get him to to talk again it wouldn't be by force. He placed a reassuring hand on his wet chassis and locked eyes with him, now speaking through their neural link,

 _"Come on, buddy. It's going to be okay. Who sent us here?"_

Zero wished he could frown, his voice filled with a heavy sadness,

 _"She did."_ Came a calm admission.

The man took a step back, puzzled. "What? Who?"

Zero exhaled through his venting again, forcing himself to make eye contact with Kain. In a flat tone as if reading off a script, he relayed the exact transmission responsible for bringing them here. He droned off a string of numbers that instantly made his human's blood run cold.

 **\- TRANSMISSION RECEIVED**

 **/request denied/**

 **/denied/**

 **/override -complete/**

 **-start/**

 **-** _ **Recently I peered back into the void where you once stared back. I realize everything now- I should have listened. This is the only place in the galaxy I feel safe enough to contact you again. Should this reach you and you have a change of heart, I'll be waiting.**_

 _ **-a ghost**_

 **ORIGIN; Quadrant 17-B; 27.170529,-17.171228, TYPHON -**

Kain felt his entire body go numb. Zero's hand scooped him up before he fell over, setting him down in his palm. The man stared at his feet and the Ronin spoke to him through their neural link,

 _"Kain. I'm sorry."_

He could but shake his head softly, _"No. You have nothing to be sorry for."_

 _"But this- I knew it was for you, it had to be. It had to-"_

"Please, _stop._ " He put up a hand, the Titan recoiling slightly. He needed a minute to process the information that was just filtered in through his ears. His stomach churned yet his heart began to burn again. Zero must have picked up the wrong transmission aimed for the wrong person, he had to of; there was no possibility in hell or space that could precedent this being real. Perhaps he was still asleep, safe and sound aboard the Ifrit and awaiting his next mission. The tears beading at his eyes told him otherwise and he shut them closed, forcing down his emotions and drawing out a single one; anger.

Kain laughed for a second before blinking away the wetness. If he didn't believe in it then it didn't exist.

"Oh, Z," He gently rubbed his chest with a cold tone, "Got me good there."

The Titan stared at him quizzically; he wasn't sure if his words had broke him or if the man had just become possessed.

"I am not lying to you, Kain. This isn't some sort of sick joke," Zero tried, feeling rather saddened that his Pilot would think he would be as cruel to make light of a devastatingly traumatic event. Still the human laughed through his apparent pain, crossing his arms.

"It has to be, bud. Because there's no way, no fucking way _she's still alive._ "


	2. Reunion

' _REUNION'_

The tension in the air could cut glass. Kain had turned away from Zero now, staring bleakly into the fog around them. He hardly noticed the cold anymore as his mind blazoned with theories and logical answers as to why the transmission was simply a mistake.

 _"Kain, your body temperature has dropped significantly within the last fifteen minutes. I suggest you embark to stabilize your core temperature and avoid hypothermia."_

The Pilot nodded, slowly pulling himself from his dazed state. "Sounds good, Z."

He hoisted himself up using the ladder handles on the Ronin's knee as he climbed back into his seat, feeling a rush of warmth fill the cockpit as the doors shut tight. He pulled off his gloves and rubbed his hands together, blowing hot breath between them as he warmed them. Zero remained put until Kain's body heat was regulated.

"Alright buddy, I've just about had enough of this shit. Let's say we get out of here, shall we?"

Kain gave the go ahead but the Ronin refused to budge. His brows furrowed and he patted the ocular screen loudly, "Come on, Z. Let's go."

Zero took a few steps before stopping once more. He was never one to disobey orders but this time he knew it was the right thing to do.

"Not yet, Kain. We have an objective to meet."

Kain sighed again, wishing the Ronin lacked a conscious at this point. He was done with this topic and this dastardly planet filled with nothing but floating precipitation and false promises.

"There is no objective here, Zero - just empty pipe dreams. Trust me, buddy, I'd know-" He laughed but the Titan growled in response, clearly hurt by his emotional negligence on the matter.

"Shut up."

The Pilot scoffed slightly, "Excuse me?"

Zero wanted to run and hide but he stood his ground. This was a chance for him to get his old Pilot back, _his real Pilot_ and he wasn't going to waste it just because his human refused to see

the light.

"I'm sorry, but I was not programmed to decline upholding a mission based on my Pilot's negative emotions regarding the matter." Zero was treading on thin ice as the volcano of dormant feelings was erupting within Kain.

"You also weren't programmed to insert yourself into something that far proceeds your mental capacity." Kain spared no harsh remark as his anger took hold, "Turn your ass around and get us out of here, we're going home."

Before he had time to calm down and rationalize his words the hydraulic doors flung open. Kain scrambled to put on his helmet as the Ronin tossed him out. He fell from the cockpit, rolling across the ground before landing on his back. Zero backed away from him, blue ocular lights now barely visible through the fog. Kain lifted his face to meet the cold stare of his friend, feeling a wave of pain through their neural link,

 _"I should never have referred to you again as Kain, Pilot,"_ Zero's voice wavered sadly, _"I should have stuck to my guns because at the end of the day, you are still an asshole."_

Kain's empathy flew out the window as his aggressive nature blinded him in rage and he stood up, throwing his arms out to the side in a challenging stance.

"Yeah, guess I am just a big fucking asshole. _So what?_ "

Zero turned his chassis around and promptly disappeared into the clouds, the crunching of his footsteps echoing off the rocks around them until he was completely out of sight. Kain realized he'd left his gloves inside his cockpit, tucking them into his sleeves for warmth as his anger slowly subsided. He shook his head and reached out via neural link to his partner, hoping it wasn't too late.

 _"Zero, I'm sorry, I didn't mean those things. I just, I don't understand why we can't just forget this whole thing even happened?"_

Nothing but silence greeted him. Nevertheless he tried to contact him again, _"Come on, buddy. She doesn't matter, only you do. Let it go so we can go home."_

The silence was near deafening as the sound of his own breathing began to freak him out. It took a minute for it to sink in that Zero wasn't coming back and the bitter realization of words he'd said left him numb and getting colder. Any sensible person he would have berated the machine to return and pick him up but he chose to give the Ronin his space. He'd nearly lost him once due to his actions and he wasn't about to do it again. Others were often quick to dismiss the Titan AI as nothing more than a tool; a right not a privilege, but whereas they saw a machine he saw an equal. Zero was worth just as much respect as another Pilot, sometimes in Kain's head; more. He only hoped the Titan would have just enough forgiveness left to give him another chance.

Before departing, Zero had fed the co-ordinates to his helmet. Whether it was intentional or not he didn't know or care but one thing was for certain; if the machine was that hellbent on making his way to that waypoint he would bet money that's where the Ronin was headed. He took hold of a crag sticking outwards towards him and began to walk down the slope, boots slipping on the wet rock. The long trek through silence between mountains would provide him with far too much time to think in addition to all the pauses taken to assure he didn't die on the climb down. It would be at least a few hours before he reached his mark, the very place he wanted nothing to do with. All he wanted was to find Zero and disappear.

His feelings toward this whole pseudo-mission were suppressed to say the least; the female in question held a name, not a very good one currently, but a name nonetheless. It had been three and a half months since he last acknowledged her memory, a good fifteen weeks at that. During that time he managed to remain sober, taking up an active lifestyle with daily runs with Zero along the coasts of Harmony. He was finally feeling better and felt closer to getting back to himself, even if the demons still kept him up at night. Things were just falling back into place until today and he watched as the blanket of security he wore began to unravel. He cursed her name in one of it's many forms which all began with a singular profanity.

* * *

3/4HR LATER;

Zero shook the dew from his chassis as he stretched out in a field of dry grass. The sun was nearly at peak position in the sky above him and vaporized the remaining water droplets on his metal plating near instantaneously. The air here was clear as glass and he took a moment to bask in its glory. Kain remained on his mind ever since he'd left him, but he knew what he did had to be done.

Zero's heart still yearned for his best friend; the strong, fearless man who laughed at danger yet possessed a kind and charitable soul. He missed how he'd greet him with his near perfect smile before they'd embark together to fight for the Frontier with a unified soul. The last time Zero saw that man was when he stowed off to Valor-4, confident he could make it alone. He left that day and never came back; only his body did and when he looked the man in the eyes he saw nothing but an animated corpse propelled forth by a new, unrecognizable entity. His old Pilot, Kyle was dead and he was left to pick up the pieces and assemble them into what was now _Kain_.

Something familiar scented the air. Zero's biosensors picked up the trail and he looked about, trying to pinpoint its location. The field was flat, save for a small rocky outcrop overlooking to the west. He chose to investigate, silently drawing his blade and steadying it before him. His feet made a soft crunch as he moved slowly through the dry straw, sensors scanning about. Someone was here, he could feel it. As his databank confirmed, the sample taken moments ago found a match and with its results brought him long awaited relief, but before he could calculate his next move a needle shaped object projected through the air, hitting the ground below him. Orange rings pulsed around him and dissipated throughout the field and his speculations were confirmed; there crouched at the rocky base sat a small figure. He lowered his sword as they slowly stood up, sunlight refracting off the orange visor of the Pilot's helmet.

"No, _nonono_ -" Kain yelled out as his feet gave out from beneath him, thankful that he grabbed the rock wall just at the right time. Small granules flew down the smooth cliffs edge and into the depths below as he felt his heartrate increase. It had been a little over two hours and he still had so much ground left to cover. Zero's path was rather tricky; being clearly designed to maximize apex efficiency for a Stryder meant it was hell for someone a quarter of the size. The fog had at least given way and he could see the rocks below, although with how jagged and sharp they were he wasn't sure if it was for better or worse.

The wind began to pick up just as it did when they stood atop the mountain. Masked within the low howling he could pick up a faint whooshing in the distance, something about it sparking his interest. He found flat ground and followed along it, veering off course and towards the sound. He jolted to the side as a rogue gust almost knocked him off balance but as he found his footing again his boots struck water and he found the source of the mystery noise; a giant waterfall. He stood in awe at the sheer size of the cascading water in the distance, realizing this was where all the fog was emanating from; all around him several waterfalls poured out of the sloping mountainside. Rays of sunlight caught the dew just right and sent a prism of rainbows scattering across the gorge that brought a light smile to his face.

"Pilot, I am in need of assistance-" Zero's voice shot like a bullet through Kain's head. He grasped his helmet, looking round frantically,

"Zero! Where are you?" He cried, instinctively reaching for his Wingman. Nothing but static filled the radio feed and he resorted to the neural link,

 _"Z, can you hear me? Where are you? How do I get to you?"_

 _"Follow the course, Kain. I cannot help you in any other way."_

 _"But wait, you just called for help? Are you not in danger?"_ He asked, confused.

 _"I am perfectly fine; why do you ask?"_

Kain's face twisted. If Zero wasn't in harms way, then who-

A single shot split the sky as a tower of rocks behind him exploded, bursting with thermite. Kain fell to the ground and rolled away from danger, aiming his weapon at the origin of the attack. There in his sights stood a long legged Titan, Railgun primed and searing hot. She looked far from impressed. Kain's blood began to boil as he recognized the gunmetal Northstar; the very same Titan he'd met during his first skirmish on Valor-4.

"KY-1127," He narrowed his eyes. Using Zero's recorded voice as a false cry for help was downright cruel.

She laughed, aiming him down in her sights, "Kyle Phillips, I should have known you'd come crawling back." That set him off.

"Crawling back? Hardly. You would know that if your Pilot actually talked to you." He spat. She sized him up before releasing her pent up round near him, forcing him to leap for cover again.

"You should have stayed dead. Things were better off that way."

He didn't blame her; if anything he agreed. If it weren't for Zero he would have chose to.

"Can't always have what we want now, can we?" He scoffed, "-and don't call me that...name. I go by Kain now."

"Kain? Well doesn't that just suit you. Adds to the edgy vibe you're going for." The laughter in her voice made him want to crush her datacore.

As long as he'd known her she'd always been one stuck up Northy, incredibly protective of her Pilot. Kain put up with it for her master's sake but if the two of them were left alone in the same room, they'd be at each other's throats in an instant.

"Whatever. Anyways, I'm looking for Zero."

She threw her Railgun over her shoulder as she pondered in thought, "Zero, ah- now that's a name I haven't heard in awhile."

"Yep." He deadpanned, growing tired of her stalling, "You know where he is? We're kinda on a tight schedule here."

"You think I'm an idiot? Of course I haven't seen him, he's your Titan. Although I do pity him, for I wouldn't want to be-"

" _Aaand_ we get it; you hate me." Kain droned. "We've been over this, like, a thousand times already."

The Northstar crossed her long legs as she leaned against a rock wall, "Now now, hate is a strong word. I wouldn't say I _hate_ you as opposed to extremely dislike you with

prejudice.." She teased. She never did find him worthy of her respect.

"You snarky little- _forget it_. I'll find him myself." Kain growled, holstering his handgun and returning to the route now fuming with anger.

"You know, it's a lot faster _this way_..." She pointed to a sizable hole in the wall but Kain didn't bother to look at her.

"I'm fine, thanks!" He yelled back, already irritated by the machine. The sound of thruster jets echoed off the valley and without warning she grabbed him and pulled him into the air. He fought at her, kicking at her fingers encased around his waist, "Goddamnit, Kye, let me go!"

She ignored his request and continued to soar through the air with him, "You wouldn't want me to now, we're 800 meters above ground."

"Ugh, who cares, so long as I'm rid of you." He barked.

She smirked, "Likewise. I want to get this over and done with, lest we ever meet again."

"Yeah, that'll be too soon." He rolled his eyes, having an odd contentment with the fact they both shared a mutual dislike for one another.

* * *

 _"There they are."_

Zero turned his attention to the skies. Sure as the sun was shinning a silver beacon lit up in the distance, one of two energy signatures matching that of Kain. He only hoped Kye hadn't killed him yet. At the opposite end of the field the Northstar touched down, letting go of her wriggling victim. The two exchanged what appeared to be an unpleasant exchange of words before the Pilot turned his sights forward. Upon seeing the Ronin he began to run to him, grass flinging behind him. Zero charged towards his human, happy to see him despite the situation.

Kain ran full tilt until his weary legs gave out and he faceplanted the ground. Zero skidded to a halt just short of him and knelt down, barely having time to do little else as his Pilot threw his arms around his slender leg.

"Zero, my god, I'm so sorry- I didn't mean any of those things," He pleaded, letting just the tip of his emotions surface as he hugged the machine, "I know I don't deserve it but-"

"I forgive you." Came a gentle reassurance. Kain looked up helplessly at his best friend, eyes spilling over slowly. The Ronin offered him a hand and he eagerly took the invitation and sat down in his palm. The bond between Titan and Pilot was certainly a spectacular sight to witness.

"Z, I don't want to lose you again, not for a second. That being said, I really think we should go home..." Kain pleaded but the Titan had other plans.

"I know, and we will-" Zero turned his body towards the rocks with a deep exhale full of fear and sadness for his Pilot, "but there is some, unfinished business that must be dealt with before we leave."

The Northstar strode by them nonchalantly, making her way back to what Kain best presumed was her Pilot; the same woman who had caused him years of grief and pain. His eyes strained to see the figure in the distance as his heart swelled with fire. He didn't need to see if it was her, he already knew. Zero placed a large hand upon his back in support and with a heavy sigh, Kain knew what he had to do.

He jumped from his palm and began to walk the rest of the field. Thoughts of multiple scenarios played out in his head while long dormant feelings began to rise from the pit in his stomach. The world became dull again as he stared off blankly, completely terrified of what lie on the rocks. The Northstar standing in front of him made him a bundle of nerves yet his heart raced eagerly. Three months of happiness and a new start on Harmony flashed before his eyes and the thought of losing it all made him want to die. All of this for a damn girl. He stopped as the field ended and his outstretched hands closed the gap between him and the rocks. His eyes lifted up, not wanting to see her, secretly hoping she'd left.

A faint shuffling behind him made him turn around slowly, heart beating so fast it was a miracle it hadn't burst out of his chest by now. Sunlight shimmered across an orange visor as he stood face to face with a small framed Pilot. She reached up and slowly removed her helmet, light brown eyes nearly striking him dead. The lump in his throat began to suffocate him as there she stood; the destroyer of his world.

 _"Hello, Kyle."_


	3. Redemption Pt1

' _REDEMPTION -PT.1'_

 _ **Phiram.**_

He watched her lower the helmet in her hands, his eyes never leaving hers. Kain's world turned to grayscale, the main focal point landing on the silhouette of the woman before him as he felt time stop. She still stood nearly a foot shorter than him and his heart dropped remembering all the times she'd tuck her head under his chin. Despite his feelings towards her, he couldn't deny that she was still beautiful; honey brown eyes peered back at him under side swept hair, the long black tendrils blowing gently in the breeze framed her small angular face. Her visage remained mostly the same, save for the creases beginning to fork at the corners of her eyes and the dark circles now lying underneath. Her brows narrowed slightly at him, a makeshift smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth told him that she wasn't sure if she wanted to be here anymore.

Although uncomfortable, Kain forced himself to speak; however it was more as a courtesy than a want at this point, "Um, hi."

She gave a brief half smile that quickly died before she broke eye contact, choosing to look down at her boots in shame. Kain exhaled loudly and did the same, completely at a loss for further words.

"It's, um, been awhile.." She breathed, realizing now that perhaps two years wasn't long enough. She stole a quick glance at him when he wasn't looking, feeling a wave of anxiety ripple throughout her. She had so much to say and do, yet the moment he stood before her everything disappeared and she instantly drew a blank.

"Yeah. Two years is a hell of a long time to abandon someone, then out of the blue bring them down to some strange planet to 'talk'." He mused aloud, completely callous to her feelings, "Funny, isn't it?"

As usual she had nothing to say. Typical. He rolled his eyes behind his helmet before removing it, letting his deep green eyes search for hers and when they found them her heart nearly stopped. Her face contorted and in an instant her eyes filled with water as she took it all in; where she once saw the kindhearted man she fell in love with now stood a scarred and battered frame toiled by war and grief. The light in his eyes was long gone, replaced with only bitterness and hurt. She lifted a hand to cover her face and she looked away, not wanting to face the reality of what Kyle had become. She hardly recognized him. The brutal truth was that she was responsible for all of this and it tore apart her heart from within.

He scoffed lightly, a smirk crossing his lips, "I know I'm not the most handsome guy you've seen but c'mon, ya gotta give me something."

She laughed, wiping her face with a sniffle before turning to face him again through eyes drowning in regret. She wished there was a way she could show him just how horrible she'd felt since she'd left and that she was sorry, even though she knew it was impossible to reverse the pain she'd inflicted on him.

"Nah, you're alright, kid," She grinned sadly, attempting to lighten the air, "You're in good shape for the shape you're in."

Zero made his way towards Kye and placed a hand on her shoulder, gently nudging her. "Let's give some space, let them talk in private."

She hesitated but complied, following the Ronin up the rocks and out of sight. Kain watched as they left, unsure about how he felt being alone in the wild with the last person in the entire universe he wanted to see. Phiram's eyes found him again and he gave her small smile, unsure of what was left of them to salvage.

"I hate to ask and to put it so bluntly, but-" Kain tried his best to keep calm for the both of them, swallowing hard, "-what was it you were hoping to accomplish?"

She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. She simply stood there, mouth agape as she searched within for answers she still didn't have. Kain placed his hands on his hips and breathed out heavily as the air grew stale and awkward.

"I see," He smiled sadly, turning his back to her as his eyes searched for Zero. He chewed his lip, stuffing down old feelings trying to crawl out of him. His soul screamed at him to let them out but over the years his resilience had turned steely and he guarded his heart with his life, terrified to open up again -lest someone pierce it again as she did.

Phiram knew she wasn't getting any better at this; even after all the time they'd been forced to spend apart she still allowed herself to succumb to her shortcomings. Kyle still had no idea about the internal struggle waging war inside her mind and his stoicism towards the current situation quickly made her regret laying herself on the line. It had been two years and the fact he still couldn't figure it out filled her with a cold resentment. Still, she picked up what was left of her courage and pushed out the words that had to be said,

"I needed to see you."

Kain looked over his shoulder at her, doubtful, "Well, I'm here."

He wasn't sure if they really needed to meet again at all. There was a time back when he still cared deeply for her that he would have expressed disappointment in her actions, but now he hardly gave half a damn. The fire had been snuffed out as he forced himself to make peace with her decision, musing at the fact that the phenomenon responsible for bringing them together years ago would inevitably rip them apart once again.

The Pulse Pilot stared at him for a long moment, studying him as he turned back to face her. He'd somehow lost weight despite him never being heavier when they'd met. He still wore the same dark blue jumpkit as before, a parting gift from his father before he passed but his suit was now that of a Holopilot. Sewn into the fabric was nameplate bearing the name 'KAIN' in red stitching which was her first red flag.

"Kain. Who's suit is that?" She inquired, reaching out to touch the canvas material. He caught her wrist before she could touch it and he was equally surprised to find metal where flesh once was. His brows furrowed, examining the black titanium prosthetic.

"Mine. When did you lose your-"

Phiram cut him off as she yanked her appendage back, rubbing it with her other hand that upon his inspection seemed to match; she had somehow lost both her arms from the elbow down. Kain's suppressed empathy reared its head and he had to stop himself from consoling her. The frown upon her face told him she wasn't about to talk about it and he wasn't entirely ready to ask. They stood at a standstill now, both confused and slightly hurt at the drastic changes now affecting one another.

Her eyes looked him over defensively, now tucking her modified hands behind her back, "If that suit is yours, then who's Kain?"

"Well- if I told you it's mine then it would be best to assume that it's me, right?" He grinned, secretly enjoying teasing her with ambiguity. Phiram's disturbed visage kept him smiling, hoping to inflict a little pain back at her.

"Kain? What the hell kind of name is that?" She flatlined. He only shrugged smugly before crossing his arms,

"Just a name, don't worry about it."

The powershift was seamless as he watched the ball roll back into his court. Phiram's expression radiated nothing but irritation and this was one of those times she wished he could be serious for once.

"Changing your identity is something to worry about, Kyle - Kain, _whatever the hell_ your name is these days."

Kain let out a breath, smile fading, "It doesn't mean anything."

"It means something to me." Her tone was jagged and her eyes filled with pain.

He let out a stressful exhale, "What do you want from me? I'm tired, my legs are sore and all I want right now is to go home and get some rest."

Phiram's voice poured out sympathetically, "I get that, but we have things to-"

"Things to what, huh? Things to do, things to say? I'd say you've done just about enough to me at this point," He growled, baring nothing back. Her facial expression looked taken aback by his sharpness but he didn't care. Now it was Phiram's turn to feel the fire. Once again she had nothing to vocalize and Kain took the opportunity to get in some long awaited digs,

"You want to talk about something? I have an idea; how about that time awhile back where I trusted you and you left me for dead? How about that?"

She swallowed quietly, feeling her emotions run down her face. There was a small part of Kain that felt bad but as a whole he was just getting started. His brewing anger trumped every emotion stewing within and he let the floodgates open as he continued to berate her,

"For two years I waited for you to change your mind, hoping you'd come back and you didn't. Two years I searched every nook and cranny of Kuiper City for a trace of you but you'd all but vanished. Nobody knew who you were let alone where you'd gone. I didn't know if you were dead or alive-"

Before he knew what was happening he felt a liquid warmth run down his cheeks, his anger masking the pain seeping out from his eyes from him. His voice choked and he tried to recover, spewing out the remaining words left in his head through quivering lips,

"I fought for us even after you'd long gone. It was after the first year I had to give myself closure and accept that you were never coming home."

Kain's words struck a chord deep within Phiram as memories of her treachery crashed like waves against her heart. She remembered it all too well and closed her eyes as the tears continued to stream down her chin;

* * *

 _-"Phee, don't. Don't do this-"_

 _Her weapon lowered momentarily as his voice rang through her head. Kye was doing her damnedest to keep the attackers at bay as war broke out all around them. Kyle had no weapon and was completely unarmed, staring at her with pleading eyes. Phiram only shook her head, feeling every fiber of her being fray in two as she uttered the words that would haunt her for the rest of her life,_

 _"I can't do this, I'm sorry," Kyle's heart was drowning in fire but she kept on, convinced this was the only way to protect him, "I don't want this. I don't- I don't love you, not anymore."_

 _A smoke grenade fizzed with electricity behind them as a wave of Spectres marched forward. Kye's foot smashed down on them but she was getting flanked from every direction,_

 _"Phiram! It's imperative we evacuate immediately!"_

 _Kyle nearly fell backwards as he grabbed a wall and steadied himself. He could feel her soul splitting from his once again and the pain shooting through his veins was maddening. A heavy explosion detonated below them on the lower floor of the building, sending bits of metal flying about as the last friendly Titan had been destroyed. As he looked up he saw Phiram climbing into the cockpit of Kye. She gave him one last stare before the Northstar closed her hatch and backed away from him and into the fire. Where anyone else would have run away he did the opposite; he didn't believe her. He sprinted after them, dodging chunks of concrete as they fell from the upper floors of the burning complex._

 _He wasn't ready to give up just yet.-_

* * *

Kain watched her relive her memories, nothing but bitterness filling his blackened soul. He remembered the trauma well, but after living for so long in hell he'd inevitably became numb to it. Phiram opened her eyes, looking at him with complete remorse. He only shook his head in disappointment.

"After about two years of drinking myself to the brink of a coma I woke up. Zero somehow found me and brought me home, nursed me back to health. It was a long and ugly road, but I made it. Things were going good until, well, today." Kain sighed heavily, unsure just what emotion he was feeling right now, "Now, here we are."

"Kain," She bit her lip to control her sobbing, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry-"

"Don't worry about it." He interjected flatly, giving her a shrug. He didn't need nor want her pity. He crossed his arms and let out a deep breath, "I figured you'd moved on anyways and were probably happy with some other asshole."

Phiram shook her head with a trembling lip, "I never moved on. I was completely and utterly miserable; I cried myself to sleep for months, unable to cope with the fact that my despicable actions had surely killed you."

She could see the doubt in his eyes as he gave her a fake smile, unconvinced.

"I wanted to come home but I knew I couldn't. How could I face you again after what I did?" She tried desperately, "I wasn't even sure that you ever wanted to see me again."

Kain narrowed his eyes at her audacity, "Of course I wanted to see you," he growled, "How stupid could you have been to think otherwise?"

She wanted to argue but she knew she'd wind up being wrong. She exhaled softly as her lips parted, hopeful; "I'm here now..."

Kain only smiled before moving in. Her heart raced watching him lean in and close the gap with his body. With a malicious tone he hissed through clenched teeth, "Phiram, I said _wanted_. Past tense."

His eyes were cold and icy now and she felt every inch of her body tremble. He pulled away, now turning his back to her and calling for Zero through their neural link, _"Zero, we're done. Let's go."_

"W-wait", She pleaded, voice thick with desperation, "Kain just wait a minute-"

"Another minute? I've spent far too long waiting for you." He deadpanned, "I think we're good."

The Ronin crested the rock, staring down at the scene unfolding below him as Kain beckoned him over with a hand. Just as he was about to make his way to the Titan a metal hand clamped down on his shoulder. Phiram's fingertips dug into him as she stopped him. Kain threw her an disinterested look over his shoulder, "Best you not do that."

"Or else what?" She threatened, "You gonna shoot me?"

Kain turned around slowly, unholstering his Wingman and gently pointing at her, "Is that a request?"

Her eyes sunk to the ground as she moved forward, tucking her forehead below the barrel, "If it makes you feel better, then yeah."

He scoffed, "You're crazy." Her eyes pierced his as she grabbed his gun and pointed it up under her chin, drawing a bothered look from the other Pilot.

"Go on, do it." She demanded, eyes stricken with guilt. If death was the only thing that would bring him peace then so be it.

"You honestly think me killing you is gonna made me happy?" He asked blatantly. She swallowed hard against the cool metal, taking his hand steadied on the weapon in hers. His brows lifted as she applied light pressure to his finger resting gently on the trigger.

"Phiram, what are you doing-" He started but she pulled down, his heart skipping a beat as the chamber clicked.

She chuckled lightly, "I know you always skip the first bullet-" As she released the trigger the chamber rolled over and this time Kain knew it was loaded. Phiram wasn't messing around. Before she had a chance to pull the trigger again he tossed his gun to the ground, watching as it bounced off the grass. She instantly reached for her Mozambique just as Kain anticipated and he cut her off by grabbing her arm. Using her newfound strength enhanced by her prosthetic limbs, she threw him backwards - but just as she grabbed her gun he leapt forward and tackled her to the ground.

"Enough, Phiram." He yelled but she was determined to end it all the only way she knew how. Her boots found his stomach and she kicked him off her, Kain grunting as he hit the grass.

"Zero, the hell is going on down there?" Kye stated angrily, reaching for her Railgun. The Ronin placed a hand on her arm, motioning for her to stop. She looked at him as if he were mad, "We have to do something before one of them gets hurt."

"No," Came his gentle reply. He was nervous but his intuition told him to remain calm and not to interfere, "They need to figure this out."

Kye flashed him a skeptical eye; "Yeah, and if one of them blows out the other's brains then what?"

"Guess we'll need new Pilots," Zero chuckled, only to receive a smack from the Northstar.

"I'm serious!" She spat.

"So am I," He reassured her, "Trust me, I've done the math."

She only shook her head at him. "You're an idiot," she scoffed, "I trust you, but you are still an idiot."


	4. Redemption Pt2

' _REDEMPTION -PT.2'_

A gold Mozambique flew through the air as Kain tackled her from behind, "You see that's the problem with you; you only think that there's only one way out of a situation."

Her fist collided with his shoulder as she tried to escape his grip on her waist. She eventually wiggled free and swung her boot at him again. For someone not wanting to cause him further harm he found it ironic that she was literally stomping him to the ground. He dodged her attacks easily, never forgetting her fighting pattern. He snatched her ankle in his hand and pulled her down beside him, pinning her down. She looked up with eyes of fire, teeth gritting;

"You see that's the problem with _you_ ; you see the good in everything, especially where you shouldn't." She shot back, her aggressive nature taking hold. She took his hands holding her down and pushed upwards, surprising him with her synthetic strength before throwing him onto his back. She began to search for her gun in the grass as he sat up,

"What, you mean like I did with you?" He jabbed, picking up the black Wingman lying beside him. By the time she found her Mozambique she was too late; Kain had sat himself down with his own gun aimed at his head.

"Kain, what are you doing-"

"Oh, what, you can kill yourself but I can't do myself in?" He laughed, "Sounds like a bit of a double standard going on here."

Phiram however wasn't laughing. Kain had suffered more than he should by her hands and watching him joke about his own suicide was the last think that could draw any sort of humor out of her. He simply smiled, proving his point; "Pretty stupid when someone else does it, huh."

She cringed. She didn't want to admit he was right but - he was right. With a defeated sigh she lowered her weapon and tucked it back into her leg holster, knowing the battle was already over. Kain did the same, staring at her under haughty eyes as she sat down in front of him. After it all was said and done she still hadn't learned her lesson; she continued to allow her fatalistic nihilism towards herself and her actions dictate her every move. So long as she kept this up she was on a surefire course towards disaster.

The wind was soft and warm from the sun as it blew petals of windflowers through the space between them. Phiram had imagined this day for so long that it was her favorite daydream. Many a time back on Valor-4 she envisioned something like this where her and Kyle would explore the expansive, lush wilderness of Harmony. They had a running joke between them; once they left that dump of a city they'd go home and find Harmony together. A smile pursed her lips upon thinking about it but as she looked for Kain's reaction and received nothing more than a tired stare it made her realize again that they would never have that moment.

"Phiram," Kain started, rubbing the back of his neck uneasily, "There's really no easy way to say this."

She pointed her lips as she looked down, nodding, "I know."

He gave her a shrug before picking up his helmet lying by his feet, "I am going home now. It's been a hell of a day."

Phiram cursed herself for not saying the things she'd planned to say. For two years she had compiled a day and a half's worth of speech, expressing her apology in beautiful, poetic detail for the severity of her actions. The truth was that she still felt for him, even more so that she did during their entire three year relationship and he'd never know it. She felt the door closing as Kain gathered his gear and prepared to leave but rather than speak up about her revelation she chose to keep her mouth shut, content that perhaps he would continue on with his newfound peace.

"Thank you. You know, for coming," She said through a forced smile. Kain returned the gesture as he pulled himself up. Zero and Kye moved in slowly, each prepared to console their Pilots. The Holopilot grabbed the brim of his helmet, swinging it gently as he began to walk away, a piece of folded paper falling out and onto the grass. Intrigued, Phiram carefully picked it up and studied it; she couldn't believe it. Slowly she began to unfold it, almost certain of its contents. As her suspicions were confirmed true, she held her breath as she began to read.

Zero's palm extended to his Pilot and as Kain climbed up the bulky metal, he turned to give her once last parting glance- just as she had done to him years ago. He was about to put on his helmet when he noticed something inside was missing. He looked over to her, his heart skipping a beat in anxiety as he watched her read the piece of literature, the one thing he didn't want her knowing about.

"Phiram, hey. Don't read that-" He scrambled out of the Titan's grasp and bounded over to her. The look on her face was a mixture of disbelief and utter confusion, leaving Kain unsure as to if her reaction was sentimental or revolted. Her brown eyes found him staring and she gave him a wounded glance.

"You kept this?" She asked lightly. He nodded quietly, his eyes softening a little as he stood over her, drowning her with his shadow. She had to wonder, though; "Why?"

Kain shrugged, looking at the note fondly as he read over the years old text, "Force of habit, I guess."

Phiram's eyes lowered to the grass, realizing it didn't mean anything to him anymore as she handed him the yellowed paper, "Here."

As he reached out to take the note, he found himself glued to the spot. His gloved hand made contact with hers. The titanium felt surprisingly warm in his palm and he swallowed hard, memories of that day flooding back into his head. He wanted to pull away but something within him flared up again. Phiram looked him over with a mixture of puzzlement and melancholy, unsure of what was going through his head. His eyes darted around as he stood deep in thought, thinking back to the day they had met three and a half years ago;

* * *

VALOR-4

TWO YEARS PRIOR;

Kuiper City was an absolute dive; what was once a successful IMC controlled mining planet, Valor-4 had fallen in such despair over the years that all that was left were the bones of the once towering metropolis. The IMC were famous for abandoning ship anytime a project went south and this was one such example. A deadly blast of radiation spread planet wide, forcing a mass exodus of military and civilians alike. Fast forward ten years later and the planet once again became active with bandits and pirates, pillaging through billions of dollars in equipment and machinery. Salvage ships arrived and left daily, removing the evidence of any sort of human settlement little by little.

Down in the ruins of Kuiper crime grew rampant; factions of nearly every sort fought over wreckage and sought out the most valuable asset on the Frontier; Titans. Dubbed the 'Titan Graveyard', thousands upon thousands of inactive Titans from nearly forty Hammond Robotics factories were scattered amongst the ruins, free for the taking. These chassis made up a large portion of pirate fleets and many a prospective Pilot ventured down into the slums in search of a partner. However, as any wise man knows; where there's loot there's greed. For this reason, Valor-4 had been classified as an extremely dangerous planet by both Militia and IMC forces, both keen on leaving the radiation soaked disaster alone.

Kyle was just a mere nineteen years old when he first embarked into the fray. Zero had been completely blindsided by his decision to go solo but nevertheless respected his decision. His Pilot kept it hush hush about his exact whereabouts, worried the Militia would discharge him if they knew he was traveling to a red listed planet without supervision- let alone a plan. Something drew him to the depths and he wasn't quite sure what it was; until he met her.

He could never forget the first time he'd saw her; there she was, in mid battle with a band of pirates, no less. He was instantly captivated by the nimble movement of her Northstar, her Railgun splitting apart a charging Ogre's hull with intense precision. Her thrusters fired in odd sequence as she dodged the hailstorm of bullets peppering her from a nearby Tone. The Stryder's chassis lit up moments before she totaled her last opponent with a beautiful, fiery display of Flightcore. As the Atlas fell dead she landed gracefully atop her kill, seemingly pleased with herself. It was in that moment he knew he was in love.

Fast forward a month later, he finally mustered the courage to talk to her. She had always been a wanderer and wherever she went, people seemed to leave her alone. He wasn't entirely sure as to why until the first time she opened her mouth;

"What do you need?" She inquired coldly, in mid chew of a bowl of rice as she skimmed through an outdated magazine on modern science, her eyes never bothering to meet his. Instinct told him to ditch and run yet the challenge was presented and he found his stubbornness chomping at the bit. He took a seat across from her and when he finally grabbed her attention, something about his calm, friendly demeanor piqued her interest. An odd familiarity about him made her feel as if they'd known each other before, although she couldn't recall where from. Regardless, they began to talk which led on for hours and before they knew it, it was 4 AM.

Several months passed and Kyle and Phiram were inseparable. They did everything together; whether it be beach combing through sludge or spelunking for treasure in the ruins of Kuiper the duo always found something to keep themselves busy. The only problem was that neither of them were willing to admit the growing feelings they'd been secretly developing for one another.

Phiram often took the first leap. Whereas Kyle was strong and a natural leader, she sometimes had to boost him up every now and then when he felt inadequate. In return, he offered her the safety and security she'd been longing for nearly her entire life. They balanced each other out well and Phiram often took note - literally - of every one of his qualities she admired.

On one such day after a long hunt that resulted in finding a cache of three brand new Atlas chassis, they decided to celebrate. Half a bottle of wine later and Phiram and Kyle were a laughing mess. The sun had given way to a clear night sky splattered with stars and the pair had unknowingly let down their guard. He wasn't sure what transpired first but before he knew it Phiram had kissed him. As he returned the motion he knew his life would never be the same; an old flame had been reawakened between them and when he looked into her eyes, he saw the other half of his soul staring back. It was in that moment he understood why he came to one of the most dangerous places on the Frontier.

Before she left that night she handed him something; a folded piece of paper. She left his loft without saying anything more, preferring to retreat as stealthily as possible. As he opened it and read the words inscribed with blue ink he felt a warmth spill from his heart, soaking him to the core as a big grin stretched from ear to ear.

 _When we get back to Harmony the first thing I want to do is watch as the sunrise lights up your eyes._

 _You are a cool, calm ocean and all I want is to drown in you._

 _We've weathered the storm and now that the rain is clearing all I can see is happiness ahead._

 _There isn't a single thing I wouldn't do for you and I want you to know that._

 _Where you see flaws I only see beauty; I couldn't fault you if I wanted to._

 _Your scars are my scars and if you give me the chance I'd earn a million more with you._

 _Everything about you is stunning and my heart burns with bliss every moment I'm graced with your company._

 _You are the first thing on my mind in the morning and my last thought as I go to sleep._

 _Home is wherever you are and whenever I seem to get lost, its your voice that brings me back._

 _When the weight of the world on your shoulders gets a little too heavy, please know I'll be there to help lift you up._

 _We share one heart, one soul and by the grace of some God I am eternally grateful that you found me._

 _It sure feels good to be reunited with your other half._

 _-Phiram_

* * *

They stood there for what had felt like hours.

Kain exhaled sharply, releasing the pent up stress filling his lungs. They had been so happy. Even after all this time Kain couldn't understand how things could change so quickly from being high on cloud nine to rotting in hell. Worst of all the irony was that the woman responsible for bringing him so much joy in his life was the same person that had inflicted the worst kind of torture on him imaginable.

Phiram slowly pulled her hand away, taking the paper with her, "Maybe it's time to-"

"Did you mean it?" He asked abruptly and without warning. She froze, exhaling softly. She understood his concern; ever since that day she'd left him, everything she'd said or done seemed like a fraud, yet that was hardly the case.

"I meant every word, Kyle." She said gently, a smile pulling at the corner of her mouth, "Please believe that."

What happened next was something nobody was prepared for, least of all Phiram. Kain reached out slowly and cupped her small face in his shaking hands, an old fire igniting somewhere deep within his heart. He was so tired of fighting. Perhaps it was the stress eating away at him or the heat of the moment fogging his brain, but for one last time he wanted a taste of what they had. The emotions he'd buried long ago swiftly resurfaced and in a gentle swoop he leaned in and kissed her forehead.

To his surprise she reciprocated, as her hands made their way up his neck. He smiled wearily under heavy eyes, running his thumbs over her cheeks and brushing away her fresh tears. Metal digits traced up his jawline, scruffing up his beard just as they used to every morning he'd wake up next to her. Kain's eyes closed as his chin tilted down and he pulled her in, nearly breaking as her lips found his.

 _"Kain! Come in! What the hell you doing down there!?"_ The voice filling his helmet feed startled him as he jolted back, picking up the transmitter and holding it to his ear, _"Goddammit Kain, come in."_

 _"Reading you loud and clear; what's the issue?"_ He barked, his heart now racing a mile a minute.

 _"What's the issue? You weren't approved for landing on Typhon!"_

Kain shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, remembering that Phiram's transmission was only sent to Zero. They had no idea about his current situation.

 _"We must have picked up a bad transmission, then."_ Was the only excuse he could muster at the moment.

 _"Damn it all, Kain. We're picking you up. Five minutes to the evac zone so I suggest you get moving! Sending the co-ordinates to your Titan."_

Kain's head swiveled around to see Zero behind him, crouching before him as his chassis opened up, "I have some bad news."

Phiram and Kye exchanged worried looks. He gave them a reassuring smile before returning to the Ronin, his mind ablaze with wild thoughts; "What is it, Zero?"

"Typhon is under planet wide evacuation. There's an incredibly volatile energy source that has gone-"

A sudden seismic rumble quaked below their feet, throwing both Pilot and Stryder off balance as they crashed to the ground. The tremors were unlike anything any of them had witnessed before and as Kain got to his hands and knees he could feel the energy spreading through the planet and rippling through his core. Kye had grabbed Phiram and loaded her inside her cockpit, Zero doing the same with Kain.

"Kye, we have to get them out of here," Zero urged.

The Northstar began to hover and reached down, offering the other Stryder a hand, "Come- I have an idea that's so crazy it just might work."

Zero took her hand in his and in an instant they were airborne. Below them the trees shook and alien birds shrieked in the distance.

"Feed me that drop point, Z. I have a feeling were on borrowed time."

"Done. How fast can you get us there?"

Kye snickered, "Less than five minutes, I'll give ya that." She laughed as they shot into the air, back into the clouds.

The temperature dropped again as they climbed in elevation, water beading down both Titans now. Kain could hardly focus on what was happening, his mind reeling with thoughts of Phiram and their days back in Kuiper City. He couldn't see her but if the feeling in his gut was correct, he'd say she felt about the same way as he did. He let out a deep breath as a weary smile parted his lips.

Sunlight filtered in through Zero's ocular systems and lit up the screen as they emerged back into daylight. Kye carefully set them down atop the landing point where him and Zero had first landed hours earlier. Up here the tremors could hardly be felt and the Ronin took this time to stretch his legs.

"Incoming!"

Kain watched as the sight of a Militia dropship came into view and hovered a few meters from their position. Zero made a dash for the ship, opening his doors and making sure Kain made it aboard safely. Kye slowly made her way over, looking a little lost as Zero helped her into the cargo ramp.

 _"Kain!"_

The Pilot turned around to view the towering figure of his friend and superior. He swallowed heavily, wondering just how bad the reprimand would be. Jed Karangula stood around seven feet tall, donning the blue grey suit of a Grapple Pilot. He crossed his arms with a heavy sigh before a light laugh escaped his lips,

"Not sure what you were doing down there, but if anyone was to get out of that shit alive it would have to be you. We couldn't kill you if we tried." He patted his shoulder before disappearing into the briefing area and Kain wasn't sure this time if he was joking or not. The next thought in his head was to ensure everyone made it out alive; that included Phiram. He took two steps towards the closing ramp just in time to see Zero leap out of the ship.

"Zero, NO!" He yelled, scrambling to the door but Kye stopped him, holding him still with her hand. He fought hard against her, completely devastated and confused. Jed and a few other Grunts immediately ran over to see what all the commotion was about.

"Easy, Kain! What's wrong-"

"What's wrong? My goddamn _Titan_ just fell out of this ship, what do you mean what's wrong!?" He cried, pointing a finger downwards. The light about them split and fizzed out as they entered warpdrive. In mere seconds they hung in space, now overlooking Typhon. Kain watched in horror as hundreds of other dropships popped up all over in a mass exodus, similar to the stories of the Valor-4 evacuation over a decade ago.

"Sorry Pilot, sometimes these things happen."

The man lowered his eyes at the Grunt, "Excuse me?" He reached out and grabbed him by the throat, holding him up, "These things happen!? No I don't fucking think so!" He raged. Jed and the others forced him away from the solider, watching as the man fell to his knees clutching his throat. Kain shook them off, throwing a fist at another when Jed threw him to the ground. He pulled his arms behind his back and restrained him, locking his wrists with zipties. The Pilot growled out as he lie face down, pinned under the weight of the bigger Pilot.

"Isn't someone going to do something about this!?" Kain cried, "He's my Titan, I can't just leave him there-"

Jed sighed uneasily, "Like he said, Kain, sometimes these things happen. Current protocol denies us from returning to a planet under evacuation. There's nothing we can do."

He couldn't believe it. As Jed continued to spew out useless information he closed his eyes and called to Zero through their bond; _"Zero, are you alright?"_

 _"Kain.."_ Zero's voice was filled with determination yet he could detect a trace of nervousness lace within his words, _"Please forgive me."_

 _"Buddy-"_ He felt utterly helpless, _"I will always forgive you... I only ask though, why?"_

 _"Speak to Kye, she'll fill you in. It's been an honor, Kyle."_

Tears began to bead at the corners of his eyes hearing Zero speak like this and he turned his head to look at the Northstar, who seemed to be grieving. Something about Zero's abrupt vacancy didn't quite make sense.

"Kye, come here. Please." He begged, a part of him breaking as he watched the Titan crawl towards him like a cowering dog. She reached his side and he tapped his boot against her chassis in comfort, "Please have some good news. At least Phiram is safe with us, right?" Anything was a positive at this point.

The Northstar's optic went dim as she opened her chassis, revealing nothing but an empty seat with Phiram's letter sitting neatly in it. Kain felt his heart twist like a dishrag as she uttered the words he wasn't ready to hear;

"She says she's sorry, and hopes one day you'll understand."


	5. Tranquility

' _TRANQUILITY'_

Zero was happy that his Pilot was successfully extracted. Watching Kain's dropship leave was one of the most bittersweet moments he'd witnessed in many years but he knew what needed to be done. He made a promise to both himself and Kyle; no matter the cost, he would bring his friend back - even if it meant the Ronin died trying then so be it. With nothing but the wind at his back he took off running, hunting for Phiram's scent.

* * *

ABOARD THE IFRIT;

"Easy there, Pilot. It's gonna be okay."

Kain sat upright now, hands bound in front of him as he leaned his back against Kye, a blank stare filling his face. Zero was gone and so was Phiram; the only two things that even remotely mattered to him were stranded on a planet that he'd just been informed moments ago was doomed to explode. His ill feelings towards Kye had all but dissolved into thin air as he rested his head against her silver hull, trying to console the wounded machine. He knew that she was Phiram's pride and joy and the pain she was suffering from losing her Pilot made him reflect inwards on his own devastation, realizing that in less than an hour Zero was going to die.

* * *

The Ronin skirted back up the mountain, scrambling up the crumbling rock madly. Phiram appeared to have traveled upwards, presumably in search of a good place to perish. Kye relayed to him their last conversation and visual feed, Zero replaying it over and over and analyzing her words;

 _"Go to the ship, Kye," Phiram gave her optic a kiss before she backed away, "Whatever you do, don't come back for me."_

 _Kye whined, reaching out to grab her Pilot. Phiram pushed her hand away sternly, snapping her fingers at the confused Titan;_

 _"That's an order, Kye! Get on the ship. Take care of Zero and Kyle."_

 _The Northstar cowered back sadly, "And what do I say when they ask?"_

 _Phiram smiled sadly, backing up against the mountain, "Tell Kyle I'm sorry and that one day, I hope he understands.." She brushed the hair from her face before throwing a finger to the ship, "Now go! Get out of here!"_

Zero's determination was fueled with righteousness; Phiram was the only person in the entirety of the Frontier capable of setting Kain free. She was the one that created this mess and he sought to end it once and for all. He hoisted himself up a platform and stopped, wearily pleased to find the familiar frame of a female Pilot sitting on the edge of the mountain.

"Phiram!"

The human nearly jumped out of her skin as she turned around, seeing the familiar yellow tigercamo Ronin climbing over the ridge. She looked at him with confused eyes, shaking her head.

"Zero? What are you doing here? Where's the ship!?"

"Do not worry- Kain and Kye have cleared orbit. They are safe." He explained. She exhaled with relief but still flashed him a puzzled stare.

"Why didn't you evacuate with them? Why'd you-"

"That was a cruel and unfair thing you did to her let alone Kain." Zero growled, stabbing the tip of his blade into the ground in anger and Phiram promptly shut her lips.

"And what about you?" She retorted as she stood up, "If you die, it will kill Kyle-"

"You know as much as I do that Kyle doesn't exist anymore at this point in time."

Zero knelt down, hand still gripping the hilt of his blade. His eye filled with sorrow as he lowered his head in memory of his long lost friend, mourning after the Pilot that adopted him nine years ago. The boy was only fourteen years old when he'd taken the throttle in hand, nearly totaling his small hometown in an attempt to pilot the Stryder. Through thick and thin they fought to the bitter end, saving many a small fort and homestead from hoards of IMC forces. The day Kyle parted ways with Zero was the day he felt their friendship truly die.

"When he met you on Valor-4 I'd never seen him so happy-" Zero sat on his rear, legs stretching out before him. The clock ticking towards their impending doom was of no importance to him in this moment.

"Oh, the stories he'd tell me about you. We would talk for hours through our neural link, him constantly asking for advice on what he should say to you and things he planned to do to capture your attention and your heart."

Phiram shut her eyes sadly. She had no idea the lengths he had gone for her.

"For a long time I resented you, you know," Zero mused, giving her a stern smirk, "I wished that he would come home, back to Harmony and continue his Pilot training. Instead, he spent hours sending me videos and pictures of Kuiper through his helmet feed. I saw much more of your face than his."

She had to laugh, recalling the days he'd follow her like a camera man and documenting every single thing she did.

"Then you remember the sludge incident." She smirked guiltily. Zero groaned. "I wish I didn't."

They let a silence fall between them as the loud rumbling in the distance intensified. The ground was breaking miles below their feet and Phiram found it ironic they were reminiscing atop a mountain range on doomsday. Perhaps this is what it felt like during the fall of Valor-4.

"As you know, a few years later Kyle nearly died. He went MIA for almost two years afterwards, constantly denying my every attempt of reaching out to him through our bond until I found him." Zero sighed heavily, "Even after I managed a way to Kuiper City and extracted him, the only thing he wanted was you."

She felt her heart cave as she recalled all too well the fear and pain in his eyes when she'd abandoned him. He must have been so scared out in the wild all alone.

"How'd you get out?" Phiram asked, letting a few stray tears fall.

"A third party task force rescued us and brought us back to Harmony. He recovered in ICU for almost a month until he didn't need IV lines and could keep down a meal," Zero shook his head, clearly still haunted by the memory. "He was a complete mess when I found him; unshaven, long unkempt haired and a staggering drunk. His body was so thin and frail I had to rely on his DNA match to verify it was him and even then- I was in disbelief. Whatever you did to him nearly killed him and in a way I believe- did; because where I was expecting to see Kyle Phillips, I got _'Kain'_ instead."

The Pilot wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She wanted all the hurt between them to stop. If only she had denied Kyle's advances and chose not to pursuit him back this mess never would have been created in the first place.

"Why did he choose the name?" She asked, blinking away her watery eyes.

Zero's tone turned dark, "Because he killed over forty men with his bare hands."

Phiram blinked slowly, brows furrowing at his answer. _"Jesus..."_

The Ronin crossed his arms before him, "I'm not sure if you want to know, but I don't care. I need you to hear it."

She nodded slowly, swallowing hard as her heartrate increased.

"That Militia team that you tried to help the day you both parted ways, never made it out. Those pirates that attacked killed every last friendly solider while Kyle watched. They kept him alive, however; they figured they could use him as bait to bring in outside forces which in turn meant new Titans and artillery that couldn't be sourced on Valor ripe for the taking. His 'distress calls' went unanswered for weeks until he contacted me through our link."

The hair on Phiram's neck prickled as an icy shiver ran down her spine. She presumed he would have given up chasing her, packed his bags and was on route back home to Harmony. The real truth sinking in bone deep made her sick to her stomach.

"He wanted to come home but he knew it wasn't an option. For the safety of others, he pleaded for me to stay away and warning me of their plan. I didn't care- I begged him for co-ordinates yet he refused, wishing me a prosperous life. That was the last time I spoke to Kyle."

Zero rubbed his head with a hand, the recollection not sitting well with him, "A few months ago he filled me in on everything that happened. After they discovered that he'd somehow thwarted their plan they tortured him for about three months- no food, no water. He doesn't remember exactly how he escaped but he acknowledges it was the night he lost his mind. Somewhere he sourced an old hunting knife and after sundown, slit every throat he could find in that camp. He took their best Atlas and stole off into the night. When he returned to Kuiper, he changed his name and washed down his sins with a bottle of rye. He hasn't felt the same since."

Phiram wanted to throw up. She cupped her face in her hands as the guilt slowly began tearing her apart. After all of that how dare she contact him again? She shook her head, eyes wide and unwavering from their position on the ground.

"I never should have sent that transmission."

Zero chuckled, looking at her with gratitude. "I am thankful you sent that transmission."

Her wide eyed stare rose to meet his. "What the hell do you mean?"

The Titan explained, "You see; whether you realize it or not, that was the remedy I'd been searching for. I looked for you for a long time but you had disappeared without a trace- so when you finally reached out, I was ecstatic."

"I'm sorry, I don't follow." She said dryly.

"After all of my calculations and countless days of trial and error I realized something; if there was one person that could bring Kyle back, it was you."

Phiram laughed, bewildered. "You can't be serious. You're telling me- the one person that can help Kyle is the one who killed him?"

Zero hummed, "Precisely."

* * *

"No, no, don't touch her."

Jed cut the ties holding Kain's hands in place and he instantly scared off the MRVN attempting to clean Kye's chassis. A sad frown appeared on its screen as its head lowered, arms drooping as it sauntered off. The Pilot took her hand in his and escorted her off the dropship and into the Ifrit's barracks.

"So, you in the business of personally attacking Marvin's now Kain?" Jed asked, half joking. The man shot him back a disgusted stare.

"Now's hardly the fucking time."

Karangula sighed, placing a hand on his shoulder as they walked in. Kain grabbed the nearest engineer and roughed them up by the collar.

"You see this Northstar here? I need you to assure me that nothing will happen to her. I don't want to hear any of this deactivation bullshit or datacore erasing, you got that?"

The man simply nodded, clutching the datapad in his hands for dear life. Kain dropped him before giving Kye a reassuring stare,

"Don't worry, love- you'll be alright. This man will take care of you," Kain's head swiveled to meet the terrified stare of the engineer in question, "And if he doesn't, daddy Kain's gonna enjoy shoving his boot up his ass."

Jed had to turn away from laughing, near certain that the engineer had for sure soiled his pants. Over the course of knowing Kain he didn't wish his anger on anybody.

The pair began to walk through the barracks, Jed's long strides barely keeping up with the Holopilot's determined pace. He was headed for the bridge, hellbent on returning to Typhon to extract both Zero and Phiram. In his current state of mind nobody- not even the Captain was going to deny his request.

"What was up with that?" Jed asked, catching up, "I thought you hated that Northstar?" Kain flashed him an angry snarl, wishing he would stop asking meaningless questions.

"Perhaps I did before, but right now that Northstar is the only thing I got."

* * *

As Phiram and Zero looked over the ridgeline they could see waves of forest sway and fall. The tremors were making their way up the mountain and soon they'd crumble. She shook her head in doubt, the wind beating at her face.

"I fucked up, Z."

"I won't challenge that as I partially agree, but- the question now is; what are you gonna do about it?"

"I don't know. I don't know _how_ to fix things. That's why I am here; if I'm gone, out of the picture, he's got free reign to move on-"

Zero held up a hand, "Let me stop you right there. Don't you realize by now that giving up doesn't solve anything? Look how well it's worked out, for both of you."

All she could do was shrug.

"You still give a damn, don't you? You claim you care for him, yet you do the most awful things to hurt him."

She cleared her throat, flashing him an obvious glance. "Of course I do."

Zero stuck his blade beside her, using it as a safeguard to make sure the wind didn't knock her off the cliff. Her hands gripped the thick slab of titanium as his blue eye stared downwards. "Well, we're running out of time Phiram."

Instantly she saw only defeat. "Even so, let's say we somehow get off this planet before it blows -what am I supposed to say to him?"

"Telling him the truth is a good start." Zero deadpanned.

A flock of Flyers snapped and hissed above them, trying in vain to escape the danger. Phiram wondered if they knew they were doomed? Zero knew if he stood by and did nothing, Phiram's fear would win and they'd both die in vain. Not wanting to perish prematurely and without a cause he saw an opportunity and took it when she was least expecting it.

"Why did you send that transmission?"

The machine had completely caught her off guard, "You refused to tell Kain but seeing as he's not here -why not tell me instead?"

She simply shook her head, "Doesn't matter. There's no longer a point."

"You think I give a damn about there being a point? I asked for the truth not your feelings regarding the issue."

Phiram lowered her brows at him defensively, "Who the hell cares! We're both dead anyhow-"

"I care! Now quit dodging the question Phiram..." Zero's tone was getting aggressive. If his last resort was to put pressure on her and by all means he would do so. "Tell me why."

Phiram simply shook her head, biting her lip. She let go of the Broadsword and crossed her arms as another seismic wave uprooted a section of trees below and taking a piece of the mountain with it. Soon this nightmare would be over and everything would come to a long awaited end.

" _Phiram_..."

"Let it go, Z. It doesn't matter-"

"It matters to me dammit, it matters to Kyle-"

"You're the one who said he was dead, anyway!" She fought back, but Zero's resilience was stronger.

"Don't piss me off. You tell me the reason you called us here- to this planet cleverly disguised as a ticking timebomb. Was it because you were planning on killing him once and for all?"

Phiram's face twisted into a sickened expression, "I would never-"

"Right."

She had no defense against his sudden rebukes. "Zero, I swear I had no idea-"

"I suspect you're lying, as usual." The Ronin picked up his sword and began to pace circles around her in an attempt at intimidate her.

"No, you know that's not-"

"Not true? Oh, but _do I now?_ How do I know that? You've skirted the issue ever since we got here." Lightning flashed overhead as the wind picked up, signaling their time was almost up.

"I-" She tried to explain, but every time she went to defend her actions she felt helpless. "I, I-"

"You what? Spit it out, dammit! I think you owe me at least the courtesy, seeing as you've killed my best friend-"

"Because I _still fucking love him_ , alright!?" She screamed, baring her teeth in anger. Zero let out a sigh of relief as he finally got an answer, watching as the Pilot burst into tears. Raw emotion spilled out of her like water through a cracked dam. Phiram's voice squeaked as she forced out the words she'd held back for years. It wasn't poetic like she'd hoped but it was too late to care about that.

"I never stopped, Zero. I couldn't. I wanted nothing more than for it all to work out and for us to be happy. I wanted to see what Harmony looked like and to meet you and the rest of his family. I wanted Kye to finally be safe and to get a full nights sleep where she didn't have to watch over me. I wanted that future together and everything that came with it yet I couldn't; I fucked it all up the day I said goodbye and with every waking breath I _hate_ myself for it. Kyle didn't deserve to die cold and alone on Valor-4, I did."

The Ronin nodded, thankful that he finally acquired her side of the story. The sky lit up with flashes of platinum as the dark clouds brewing above rumbled with thunder.

"You had everything. What was missing? You had planned to accompany him to Harmony, I have the video logs-"

She shook her head, the wind blowing her black hair around like a tornado. "You don't get it. Neither did he. I couldn't, Zero."

"But why?"

Phiram only smiled, looking out over the precipice with a dead look in her eyes. "I couldn't stay."

Zero rolled his hand into a fist. "That's the stupidest damn thing I've ever heard."

She laughed dryly, "I knew you wouldn't understand."

Anger would have probably further satiated him but his sound logic prevailed. With a hiss of his vents he knelt down in grief. His blue optic caught her eye and with the last bit of strength he had- he pleaded.

"Then _make me understand_."

Phiram nodded softly, taking in a deep breath as her voice shook.

"Since the day was brought into this world I've been nothing but a scavenger. A 'child of the north' they called me, and back home that's not a pleasant name. My people suffered for nearly a hundred years, withering away as they drank themselves to death while industry took over my homeland. I was never given the chance to grow up on a farm or within a sheltered colony. Food and shelter was always scarce and all throughout my early years I was taught to lie, steal and cheat my way through life. I'm not proud of it, but that's who I am and what I always will always be to some extent. I didn't have that family that he had nor you for protection. Where I come from Titans are working machines -not companions."

"When I first met Kyle I didn't think much of him. Sure, he was cute but I wasn't looking for anything serious. Yet, as fate works its course it didn't take long for his big heart and vivacious spirit to win me over and before I knew it, I couldn't get enough. He was so full of hope- something that I had lacked for many years. Though it took me awhile to figure out as to why I fell so hard and unexpectedly for this brilliant young man, it wasn't until I realized that Kyle embodied everything that I had always wanted to be."

Phiram's eyes began to water as she smiled through her memories.

"He was always quick on the draw. A fantastic gunfighter, grappler and brawler- I've never met anyone who possessed as much talent as him. That feeling of absolute adoration, respect and unconditional love for him quickly consumed me like wildfire. After that there was no way I could never look at him the same way again. There he was; barely old enough to fight on the Frontier yet he was gifted with so much wisdom and strength well beyond his years. He gave me everything I always wanted. Every time I looked into his eyes I felt such an intense happiness but- deep down, I knew it was over the day we began."

"As time went on I could no longer suppress the way I truly felt. I was never quite sure if he noticed or tried to hide it- but eventually it became too obvious to ignore. Kyle's love had only grown and like a coward I foolishly pulled away. Still, he held onto us and kept us afloat while I had failed to support him. I couldn't get over the idea that a perfect man like Kyle would let himself waste away his life alongside a broken person such as myself. Even if he didn't want to see the truth, I knew better. Or, so I thought."

"Self sabotaging a bond is not something I take lightly, Phiram." Zero's voice struck her sternly. She nodded as she scrunched her lips. "Me neither. I'm sorry I did that to him- to you."

The machine let out a low hiss, "Continue."

"I couldn't stay because I wasn't ready. I've had years to mull it over- trust me. The person I was when we met was not who I wanted to be. I know my potential and that person he fell madly for, was nothing short of a shadow of my former self. I wasn't prepared to drag him down along with me because I wanted him, no- that would have been downright selfish. I've already been there, Z; I've had every ounce of me taken by someone who took and took but never gave. It's a terrible feeling- one so bad that I promised myself I'd never make another being live through it for as long as I existed."

She crossed her arms and looked to him, smiling sadly. She could only shrug her shoulders as rain began to pour down.

"I love him. That will never stop. Not a thousand meddling IMC bastards nor Titans can sway my mind. Even after all these years that love burns just as strong within me. I can't turn it off and I don't want to. I still only see greatness in his future. Though I am very happy for him, I can't help but look inward in disappointment and regret. If I had only held it together a little longer or let go of my fears perhaps things would have been different. The possibilities used to haunt me everyday but now the writings on the wall. He's gone."

She let out a deep exhale, throwing her arms out to the side. Zero's daunting presence had retreated and the machine felt itself overcome with a wave of relief. He understood. He didn't like it, but he understood nonetheless. The truth felt just as bittersweet as he'd imagined and where he wanted to hate Phiram for her treachery he could only stare at her with a quiet appreciation.

"I guess- the reason I reached out was because I wanted to see him one last time. I'm aware of my over usage of the damn word but I meant it. I wasn't expecting anything, I just-"

"He took something you couldn't replace."

Phiram's eyes softened with grief. "Yes. Exactly."

"Then my predictions were right; you are the missing link. You both still hold onto a piece of one another. That's what's wrong with Kain and evidently now, you as well."

"I don't know how to help him, Z." She admitted, "I don't know what to do."

The Ronin reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder and head, speaking in a calm and gentle manner. "You got to stop running from your problems and face them head on. If you don't, you'll kill him- this time for good."

Phiram let out a heavy exhale, placing her own metal hands on his. "...I suppose I know that now."

Zero's hands trembled softly as his voice cracked, "I cannot _lose_ him again, Phiram. I'm not strong enough-"

Upon hearing the machine break, the walls guarding her heart came crashing down. Her lip quivered as she wrapped her arms around the Titan. His metal hand clutched her back and through it she could feel his fear. The rain beat heavily down upon them, her wet hair now sticking to her face as she cried against his cold chassis. It took a ten foot war machine to finally make her believe in something she had been fighting against her entire life. She'd been running for so long that she had lost sight of the danger and abandoned the reason. The threats of old no longer existed. Phiram could hold herself together no longer and let out a few sobs in distress.

"I don't want you to ever be apart again. I won't let it happen-" She whispered, trying to steady her voice. Her eyes found his and she held her stare with an almost eerie confidence as if she'd become possessed. "I promise you on my life that you will get him back."

Zero could only return her gaze with a gentle stare. Deep down he could see why Kain had once loved her.

"If anyone can save him it's you." He uttered softly. "I know you can do it."

She nodded, silently acknowledging what she prepared to do. Now that Kyle's life and sanity hung in the balance she had purpose again. Even if it broke her she'd reunite them. They had suffered enough.

"Let's go. We're not dying here."

Zero let out a sigh of relief as he opened up his chassis to her. Without a further word she jumped in, flipping the switches overhead and shutting the door. Lightning cracked like a whip around them and as the rain poured on. One way or another she was going to get them off Typhon.


	6. Finale

' _FINALE'_

Thunder and lightning crashed around them as the Stryder charged up the mountain. Phiram was shooting transmissions left and right, aiming for anyone with a dropship in distance. Typhon was imploding beneath them, the planetary tremors now shifting the rocks under their feet. Volcanoes busted open in the distance, lava spewing out like a fire geyser. The torrential downpour had made the entire mountain slick and Zero's narrow feet slipped and skidded sketchily around corners. They were aiming for the summit, somewhere as close to the stars as possible.

"Anything?" Zero asked, dodging a stray boulder as it came crashing towards them. Phiram typed furiously on the keypad below, switching frequencies and requesting contact with Militia ships.

"Nothing yet. Please know I'm trying, though."

"I know," Came a calm answer, "Just do your best."

* * *

ABOARD THE IFRIT;

Kain's footsteps stomped up the stairway leading up to the upper deck of the ship. Jed's clearance had opened many doors for him but it would only get them so far. If he had any hope in hell of reaching the Captain, it would take nothing short of a miracle.

"Are you sure about this? Captain Iro isn't someone you want to mess with." Jed inquired, but Kain had his mind already made up.

"Absolutely. I'm not giving up on them." Jed shrugged and that was that. They got as far as the main deck before security stopped them.

"State your business, Pilot."

Kain looked over the sentry with little care, "I need to speak to the Captain."

The guards exchanged comical glances before looking at Jed, "He with you?"

Jed nodded, flashing them his badge, "Yeah."

"Heh," One of them snorted, "Wouldn't want to be you, then." Their laughter began unravel Kain and Jed had to squeeze down on his shoulder, reminding him not to punch out one of the Ifrit's guards.

"Real funny, yeah. I bet you like watching people die; because there's a Militia Titan and Pilot stranded on a planet about to blow the fuck up."

"This is the Frontier, buddy; people die every second of every day. In case you haven't noticed, were on lock down and are currently awaiting orders from Briggs. You know who that is, right?"

Kain was about to further chew out the sentry when Jed pulled him aside, "Let me handle this, Kain, go take a walk."

The Holopilot fumed but took his advice, much to his relief. Karangula clasped his hands together, hoping to appeal to any hidden sympathy hiding within the guards.

"Is there really nothing we can do? It's his Titan and a good friend. It won't take more than ten minutes, in and out-"

"Sorry pal, orders are orders. With the current state of the planet we can't risk it. Captain won't even entertain the idea."

Jed placed his hands on his hips, staring at his boots. "Shit."

"Best hope your friends believe in God, because there's no chance in hell they are getting off that planet."

"Zero! Watch out!"

The Ronin ducked just in time as a hunk of rock shot out at them. The pair watched as it flew straight over their heads, crashing into a wall mere meters below them. The seismic force ripping and churning at Typhon's core was more than apparent now; whatever was causing the planet to deconstruct must have been titanic as there was no known existing force of nature capable of turning a large celestial body into a smoothie in less than an hour. The mountains were finally beginning to give way as they fought onward to reach the highest peak.

"What's happening to this place?" Phiram wondered aloud whilst typing out yet another distress call. Zero wished he had an answer but he was just as lost as she was.

A tree whizzed by like a rocket, nicking a plate on Zero's armor and nearly sending them tumbling down the mountainside. Phiram gripped the straps of her harness, crying out in pain as her head slammed against the metal hull.

"Sorry." He pardoned.

"It's okay, I'm fine," She rubbed the smooth glass of his ocular screen gently, "Just keep moving."

He picked himself up and pushed on hastily.

The slope suddenly began to curve upwards, the Ronin feeling hopeful as a clear path now lie in view. His hand traced along the rock wall as he strode long the carved channel, much like a wallrunning Pilot would. At these altitudes the wind beat hard against his chest but his desire to reach his goal far outweighed any sort of force against him. The rain pouring down from the top began to wash away his footing and he found himself slipping sooner than he anticipated. He fell to his hands and knees, desperate to keep from falling down the slope.

"Come on, Z, we can do this," Phiram pleaded, placing her warm hands against his screen, "Just a little more, we can make it, I'm certain-"

The Titan lost his footing just as soon as he'd got it and with a loud screech, his kneecaps dug into the rock. He looked up just in time to watch a barrage of rocks come flying at him. Phiram screamed as they made contact, slamming into them and tossing them over the cliff. Zero's ocular systems went dark and the scraping of metal filled the interior of his hull as the Titan went tumbling down into the valleys below.

 _-SYSTEMS REBOOTING_

 _-TITAN AI/ONLINE_

 _-AUXILIARY POWER/ONLINE_

Phiram wasn't sure how long she'd been out but as she came to, she patted around in the darkness. Everything seemed to be intact where she was concerned but Zero's physical state was more important. She rapped her bloodied knuckles on the hatch door, hoping everything was okay.

"Zero? Are you alright?"

 _-OCULAR SYSTEMS RESTORED_

A light creaking emitted from within as the now cracked ocular screen lit up, flashing and buzzing with a bad connection. They had fallen quite a ways down, Phiram looking up at where the path they were following used to be.

 _"Phiram?"_

Her heart swelled with happiness upon hearing his voice, "Z! You're alive, thank God."

She was thrown back in her seat as he attempted to stand, knees bucking under him. He was hurt, bad. She banged on the hydraulic doors with her fists, "Let me out, please."

He obliged, the door creaking as it opened halfway and she had to crawl through the small opening. As she got out her eyes widened at her discovery; Zero's body, what was left of it was horribly mangled. Where was once his left arm now remained a stub, wires sticking out grossly and sparking in the heavy rain. Both of his legs twisted in the wrong direction and the bitter reality of them escaping was practically nonexistent now.

Phiram froze, a look of utter devastation filling her face.

"I did this-this my fault, all of it..."

Zero let out a weak chuckle, lifting his broken arm and raised it out to her, "I wouldn't have had it any other way."

She shook her head as she looked down at him in anguish, walking atop his body as she took his hand in hers. "Zero what are you talking about? How can all of this be a good thing?"

He tried to lift himself up but he didn't get very far. He sunk back into the pit below him and let out a wounded sigh, "You see, if this all never happened we wouldn't be here right now."

Phiram shook her head sadly, "That's exactly my point, Z. If I never initiated any of this you and Kain would have still been happy-"

"Would we have been, though?" He interjected, effectively shutting up his Pilot.

"Everything happens for a reason, Phiram; this life we're given, the path we choose to take- all of it is more than mere happenstance."

"What are you on about? Where's all this philosophical talk stemming from?" She grimaced in confusion.

"Back on Harmony when I was desperately trying to reach out to Kain, I wandered upon an old monk by the name of Tanch. He eased my mind and my worries, providing me with years of ancient teachings that shaped humanity into what it is today. The only thing he'd ever asked of me in return was to share his teachings along with my findings with others so that one day we can shape a better humanity, together."

He could see the doubt in her eyes but he needed her to understand. "If this appears to be coming off as random I assure you it's not- I need you to carry on and find Kyle- but not without this. Can you do something for me, Phiram?"

The woman nodded slowly, swallowing heavily, "Anything you need me to do, Z, you got it.."

A low whine escaped him as he powered down, sending the last of his draining power to his auxiliary features. She wasn't sure what he was up to but a small device lit up within the cabin, glowing with a blue light.

"Retrieve that databank, will you?"

She did as he asked, pulling out the thin black box and studying it.

"Tanch's teachings are inside. There's over a hundred years worth of digital copies of paper texts, prayers, ect. Its invaluable; except to the right people. I trust you'll do right by them."

Phiram's eyes began to water, a frown creasing her lips.

"We mustn't let it go in vain. I'm fulfilling my duty by passing it on to you, which in turn I want you to use them to shape the universe to become a better place; a better Frontier..."

 _-CRITICAL DAMAGE TO CHASSIS/ENTERING SELF-PRESERVATION MODE_

 _-AUXILIARY POWER/OFFLINE_

 _-HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS/FAILURE_

Zero let out a panicked grunt, feeling the sensors in his legs go offline. He had little time to make peace with what would most likely be his death. Phiram clutched the databank to her chest before leaning forward and rested her forehead against him closing her eyes as they felt an aftershock rumble around them. The machine's hand wrapped around hers just before his sensory array died, rendering him blind. Zero's blue optic went black as he readied himself.

 _-OCULAR SYSTEMS/OFFLINE_

"I think it's time to make the call."

Phiram gave him an earnest smile, nodding as more tears falling down her face, "Yeah."

Zero inhaled through his vents and breathed out as he prepared to contact Kain.

* * *

"Two thousand credits, in hand. I promise. All I ask is that you pick someone up on Typhon-"

The dropship pilot gave Kain a disgusted look, "Land on that firecracker? You can keep your damn money."

He watched the man walk away in disdain, exhaling heavily as Jed found him. Kain glance over, hopeful, "Any luck?"

The taller Pilot only shook his head, "I tried everything, no avail."

Kain crossed his arms as he began to pace, "Fuck."

There had to be a loophole somewhere on this goddamn ship; someone on board had to be desperate enough to accept his offer. Those were hard earned credits, he mused. Jed looked around the barracks in defeat, unsure of what was left to do to help. He didn't want to tell Kain the truth, that every attempt at retrieving Zero was futile and that he should quit while he was ahead. He knew where his heart was at and out of respect, continued to fight a losing battle.

"I wonder if we should try the east wing; heard they hire pilots with addictions, perhaps we can exploit that."

Jed uttered a chortle, "You know, that's so crazy it just might work-"

 _"Kain, can you hear me?"_

The Holopilot quickly silenced Jed, waving his hand as he moved to a quieter section of the ship, _"Zero! You're, you're alive!"_ His face lit up with a heartfelt smile, gleeful upon hearing the Titan's voice.

 _"For the time being, yes. All the ships have left, we're trapped down here. Typhon is splitting at the seams, whole place is a mess."_

 _"We? Who's we?"_ He asked, heart beginning to race.

 _"Phiram's here with me. I found her, convinced her to make things right with you."_

Kain clutched his chest as it began to flutter. He couldn't believe it; they somehow found each other and were both still alive.

 _"Zero, I don't know what to say- I, I can't believe it.."_

 _"Please do,"_ He urged, his mechanical voice wavering with static, _"I don't know how much time we have left."_

 _"No, don't talk like that, Z. I'm working on it. I'm sending a ship down as soon as I can get one of these lazy jerks off their asses to come get you. Hold out just a little while longer-"_

 _"I'm sorry Kyle, I'm deeply, truly sorry..."_

 _"Zero, please, just hang on a minute-"_

Kain felt something unplug from within and in an instant, it was gone.

 _"Zero?" He pleaded. Nothing. "Zero!"_

Jed cocked his head to the side as Kain looked weak.

"Everything alright, man?"

Kain's face told him all he needed to know, "That was Zero."

"And? What did he say? Did he find her?"

All he could do was nod before he wandered off, lost in his thoughts. He didn't know how to feel or what to do at this point. A heavy rumbling could be felt throughout the entire ship as everyone, Pilot and staff alike turned their attention to outside the windows. Kain turned around slowly just in time to have a front row seat to Typhon's destruction. An audible crack was heard and felt and before anyone could comprehend what was going on, Typhon cracked open like a pomegranate. His heart stopped watching the planet detonate as his helmet fell from his hands and clattered to the floor.

In that moment nothing else mattered. Years of brewing hatred, resentment, pain and grief had been absolved. Phiram's betrayal, Zero's suicide and Kye's disdain for him had all but disappeared into the cold air around him. Kain's face twisted in pain as he stood there, wanting to cry but no sound came. Tears poured from his eyes as he felt both Zero and Phiram's energy fleeting from him. His soul was on fire, cremating his organs from within as he fell to his knees. Jed watched in horror as his friend's heart shattered.

Chunks of Typhon now floated loosely in space, magma from the planets' core splattering about like wet paint. Every trace of life residing on that rock mere seconds ago was dead and the difficult realization that Zero -whom he had just talked to- was no more broke him in ways not thought possible. His voice returned as he sobbed audibly, hands streaking down the glass as he went to cover his face as the grand finale hit him;

Zero and Phiram were dead.

Jed fell to his knees as he clutched Kain by the shoulders, holding onto him tight as his body shuttered.

"Shh, it's gonna be okay," The Grapple Pilot felt his own composure fleeting as his voice wavered, "Just hang in there."

 _Images of Phiram's face doused in sunlight flooded his mind, her hair messy as she'd just woken up. He'd been staring at her for the past half hour, watching her sleep peacefully before the sunrise gently woke her. Memories of Zero striding around his home colony with him on his shoulders, giggling and laughing as the Ronin Phase Dashed about just to make him smile followed shortly after. He recalled the way his heart skipped a beat when he would leap into the cockpit before embarking on a whim. Like a photograph on fire, the edges of those memories he held onto for dear life began to disintegrate at the seams. Their faces were eaten up by the caustic flames and he was left in a blank space -alone._

Kain's sobbing had quickly turned to hyperventilating, Jed now holding him tighter. His ragged voice grew thin and his body convulsed, his chest heaving upwards. Jed looked down in time to see Kain's face fall still, tears streaming down from the corners of his eyes. He shook his friend hoping he was just in shock.

"Kain, _Kain_ -" Jed shook him again but received no response. He patted his face in his hands but the man remained lifeless. He reached down and squeezed his wrist only to find his pulse was gone.

"Hey! I need a medic over here!" Karangula yelled, now cradling Kain's head in his lap. A few medical staff rushed over and quickly checked over the downed Pilot. Within moments they had requested a stretcher, Jed looking at the whole mess in confusion.

"What's happening to him!?" He demanded, watching them load him onto a wheeled gurney. The woman laying him down on the bed threw Jed a quick glance before they departed,

"He's gone into cardiac arrest. We need to get him to the medbay, now."

* * *

Phiram pressed the buttons releasing Zero's datacore, cutting him off mid link to Kain. Adrenaline flooded her veins and her will to live now burned brighter than ever, like embers into the dark sky. There was no way in hell that she would give up now. With Zero in one hand and Tanch's teachings in the other, she began to hastily climb the crumbling mountain. They'd make it out of here alive or she would die trying. She was done running from her fear.

Mud flung about as her boots pounded up the broken rock. The mountain had turned into a mudslide, brown water now rushing down from the collapsing summit. Her waypoint no longer existed yet she climbed on, hoping to catch a glimpse of any fleeting ships. A loud crack broke out below her and she looked down in time to see waves crashing into the base of the ridge. Trees swirled in the murky water as the mountain she was currently scaling began to cripple and sink downwards. Her heart raced as she pulled herself up faster, thankful for the mechanical strength of her prosthetics.

It wasn't long until she reached what was left of the peak. From here the air smelled burnt and what she witnessed now encompassing the horizon was the largest energy disruption she would see in this lifetime; blue waves of raw energy dissipated into the sky, lashing about with tendrils of blue. She looked around in panic realizing that the exodus was over. Her soul withered as she looked to the stars hiding behind the thick black clouds, hoping to find its other half.

 _"I'm sorry, Kyle. For everything- all of it. I hope you have a good life. Please take care of my Kye for me."_

The creaking of rock told her that her time was up. She closed her eyes, ready to embrace her certain death when the whirring of jets flooded her ears. As they reopened, she nearly died upon seeing the doors of a dropship slide open.

"Hey! We got your transmission, get in!"


	7. 11-11

_'11:11'_

 _"You are stupid lucky, Pilot. If it wasn't for your thirty two transmissions we intercepted, you probably wouldn't be alive right now."_

Phiram stared stupendously at the Militia crew, wet and matted hair covering half her face. She had no energy left to argue, relaxing as she felt them initiate warpdrive and watching as time bent and they escaped mere moments before the planet split apart.

She didn't waste a second upon them docking; tucking Zero's datacore into her suit she made a mad dash for the barracks. All around her fleet staff, engineers and Pilots raced about, frantic in the state of emergency. From outside the hangar windows she saw what was left of Typhon, thanking every single one of her lucky stars that somehow they beat the odds. Searching about she found the nearest officer and nearly made them jump out of their skin upon seeing her.

"Where's the infirmary? I need to see a Pilot. Kyle Philli-, er, Kain. Either one of those names-"

"Hold up, you are asking the wrong person," The woman halted her, "Infirmary is east wing." She pointed her in the right direction and without hesitation Phiram sprinted towards the hallway.

"Move! Move! Get out of the way!" An athletic built woman with a British accent ushered her out of the way, a spectacle of riflemen and medical staff following her with a man on a gurney. Her eyes tried to catch a glance but they were too fast. Instinctively, she chased them.

"Pilot Phillips!?" She yelled, a man turning to her briefly before they entered the medbay, "No, this is Pilot-." He was cut off before he could finish his sentence.

Phiram kept running until she found the infirmary. She slammed her hands down on the reception desk, scaring the shit out of the staff behind the counter.

"I need to see Kyle Phillips! Or Kain! He's a Pilot- H-he's about 6'1, 170 lbs give or take- dark hair, green eyes-"

"Just hang on-" The woman barked as she searched through her database. Moments later she looked up with the shake of her head, "Sorry ma'am, nobody matching that description is in here."

She didn't believe her. She darted in and out of every room she could find until security stopped her. Despite her pleas she was promptly tossed out back into the barracks. Phiram's head spun as the space around her slipped out of focus. A loud ringing filled her ears as anxiety began to rip her apart. What if Kain never got off Typhon? The horrible theories and nihilistic realities began to flood her mind and she clutched her head, bracing herself for an incoming panic attack.

 _"Don't you realize by now that giving up doesn't solve anything? Look how well it's worked out, for both of you."_

 _"You got to stop running from your problems and face them head on. If you don't, you'll kill him._ "

" _I cannot lose him again, Phiram."_

As Zero's words echoed through her mind, something urged her to look inward. Fear had caused her to run so many times yet the outcome was always the same. She knew this time something different had to be done. With her last ounce of faith she steadied her ragged breathing and let herself fall into the deepest part of her mind.

" _I'm not strong enough-"_

 _She remembered her promise- the one that would either make or break her. She meant it with every fibre of her being but she couldn't do it alone. She needed help- she needed Zero._

Her eyes shot open. The glassy shine from the Ronin's black optic suddenly reflected up at her from inside her suit and instantly, she knew what she had to do. Even if the very idea itself danced on the edge of insanity, anything was worth a shot.

* * *

Jed's hand never left Kain's as he stood beside his friend, watching the medical staff hit him with a defibrillator. His chest leapt forward with every hit yet the man remained unresponsive.

Karangula's unmasked face was now dripping wet as he prayed in anguish that his friend would survive. His heart began to fill with guilt; what if he had just ordered them to go back and pick up Zero? What if he had threatened the same pilot of their dropship to disobey orders and take the chance? Anything that could have stopped this madness he would have done now knowing the consequences.

"We're losing him," A woman warned before resuming her CPR. Jed felt his heart breaking as the possibility of losing one of his best Pilots and his friend became more of a reality. With a heavy hand he placed it on the man's head, uttering a small prayer,

"Come back to me, friend. You have so much more life to live."

* * *

 _"Titans accounted for?"_

 _"Yeah. Thirty five; fifteen Atlas, nine Ogres and eleven Stryders."_

The two hangarmen didn't notice the slow shuffling of muddy boots as Phiram crawled between ships, undetected. She slipped deeper into the barracks and into the Titan loading bay.

There hanging in stasis pods were indeed, thirty five Titans. She skirted silently across the neatly polished floor and made a beeline for the Stryders. Standing in front of her were several Northstars, making her heart sink at how much pain she'd inflicted on Kye. Nevertheless, she had her mission to complete and combed through them, searching for a Ronin. Near the back of the room stood an inactive chassis matching Zero's specs and she let a light smirk crease her face as she climbed up its chassis. She let out a deep breath as she removed the installed datacore, the loud clank it made upon hitting the ground alerted a few nearby engineers who quickly turned their sights on her;

 _"Hey! Get away from that Titan!"_

Phiram chose to ignore them, drawing forth Zero's datacore and pressing it into the socket. It clicked neatly as she did and in an instant, the machine roared to life. Zero looked around, examining his new body and more than stunned to see himself alive. His ocular systems scanned the ship and came to a rest on Phiram. She smiled up at him, face dirty with mud, sweat and tears. He was about to express his gratitude but upon seeing a wave of Militia Grunts come pouring into the barracks he chose to save it for later. He reached out and grabbed her, hoisting her into the cockpit before shutting the doors.

"Phiram, I am beyond glad to see you, however-" His body jerked back as an archer missile launched into his hull, "I must repay you at a later time."

"Don't worry about it, Z. I got you and you got me, that's all that matters." She smiled at him and in her heart she knew he smiled back. He lifted his sword in front of him, blocking the barrage of bullets now splattering them.

 _"Take down that Ronin! We got a rogue Pilot inside!"_

Zero's long legs thundered through the barracks. A loud mechanical roar bellowed from the Stryder as he raced through the area, riflemen and fleet staff dodging his feet.

"Phiram, my scans indicate that we are not on the Ifrit; this is the Raiju. Kain's ship is on the other side of this fleet."

She let out a tired sigh, "Shit. How are we supposed to get there?" She asked, Zero's sword still blocking them from their friendly attackers. His mind calculated and formulated a plan, convinced it would work;

"I have an idea. Patch me through to Jed Karangula."

* * *

The Grapple Pilot leaned back against the wall of the hallway, falling to his knees. The medics were still trying to revive Kain and it had been well over ten minutes. Normally the patient was let go at this point but his superiority and disbelief kept them trying. He rested his head in his hands, stricken with grief.

 _"Corporal! Come in! Requesting Jed Karangula, over!"_

He looked at his buzzing helmet with puzzlement. As the same transmission came through again he picked up the receiver and listened in; he couldn't believe it.

 _"Is that...Zero?"_

 _"Affirmative, Corporal. I have a favor to ask of you."_

Jed stood up now, clutching his receiver tightly, _"Any damn thing you need, Zero."_

 _"We're aboard the Raiju, 9th Fleet. My positions place you at twenty kilometers away."_

 _"Dispatching a ship to you now, I'll be there as soon as I possibly can. Hang in there, Z!"_

With that, Jed threw on his helmet and raced off to the hangars, hoping Kain would hold on for just a little while longer.

* * *

Another archer round flanked Zero as his legs jerked about. He didn't want to harm any of the crew, but his pleads went unanswered,

 _"Stand down! I am a Militia Titan, serial code; ZR-117-"_

 _"Shoot it! Don't listen to it's lies, take it down!"_

The room was crawling with angry riflemen. A loud stomping from behind made the Stryder turn around to meet the face of another Ronin. She drew her blade and steadied herself, optic flaring with justice,

 _"IMC scum."_ She growled, swinging at them and cutting a piece of his armor off with the tip of her sword. Zero squared up and prepared to fight back, legs splayed in a defensive stance.

 _"I don't wish to fight you, but in order to defend my Pilot I will."_ He warned.

She uttered a snort, _"Think I care? The only good an IMC Pilot is, is dead."_ She charged first and Zero reciprocated, their blades locked together and sending sparks flying about. Zero fought back hard but the female was quicker; she buried her sword under his arm socket and threw him to the ground. Just as she dove in for the kill, a Crow appeared in the hangar. An exasperated Jed came barreling out, throwing his arms up and yelling for dear life.

"Get off that Titan! He's friendly!"

The entirety of the room fell quiet. Jed dispersed the crowd, waving the other Ronin off him as she slowly backed away. His hands found Zero's hull and he looked down at the Titan with delight.

"Thank God you two made it...Kain's in trouble. They can't restart his heart."

Phiram and Zero both froze, the machine taking the news immediately to heart. Out of all the things Jed could have said it was that sentence that broke him. The Pulse Pilot felt her anxiety creep up but in an instant, she smashed it. Taking the throttle in her hand she hoisted Zero's chassis up and picked up Jed.

"Hey, what are you-"

 _"Enough!"_ She growled, making a beeline for the waiting ship, "No more running; we finish this here and now."

Zero set down Jed once they were inside the ship, the man making no haste of returning them to the Ifrit. The warp transported them through immediately and as soon as they docked and the doors flung open, the Ronin shot out like a waiting Greyhound.

Jed climbed atop the hull of the Titan, directing them through the ship and warding off people blocking the way. The infirmary wasn't far, Phiram remembering the exact layout from the other ship. Ifrit Sentries tried to stop them but the Stryder leapt over them with great ease. Jed knew he would catch so much shit for this but in this moment he hardly cared. Kain was of utmost importance right now and no damn protocol was gonna stop them.

As they reached the medical wing, Zero let both Pilots down gently. He looked to Phiram with a blissful nod,

"Please tell Kain I wish him a safe recovery," He muttered sadly, but Phiram motioned for him to kneel. He did as she asked and with a smile she reached for his datacore;

"Why don't you tell him yourself?"

He had no words, instead allowed her to take his most vital component; his life source as she tucked it back into her suit next to his databank. Together, her and Jed raced off into the ward in search of Kain.

"Come on, he's just around the corner." Jed urged, Phiram trying to keep up with his long legs. Her head tried to talk her out of confronting Kain but she didn't allow it. Her anxiety sloshed around inside her body like water in a bucket but she kept herself balanced enough not to let it spill her emotions. Her determination was hard as diamonds and nobody -not even Kain himself would keep her from entering the room.

Jed suddenly stopped, Phiram skidding into him as she halted her pace. He froze, staring at the bed. She pushed passed him and looked around; the room was neat and the sheets on the bed were pressed, it was as if nobody was ever in here at all.

"Perhaps we got the wrong room-" She started, but he could only shake his head.

"32B. Kain was here when I left."

They stood in silence as the worst thought crossed their mind; perhaps Kain never made it.

* * *

 _Kain's eyes squinted into the bright sunlight as he raised a hand to cover his eyes. The air smelled sweet of wildflowers and maple trees and a soft breeze blew gently at his face. When he could visualize his surroundings, he found himself back on Harmony. He was in a field, dressed in his white medical gown. All around him fireflies twinkled like stars and petals engulfed him, blowing through his fingers. He was in some remote area in an unknown place that he'd never visited before; how he got here or why was beyond fathoming at this point as he took a few barefooted steps forward._

 _In the distance a set of figures waiting patiently. His eyes strained, wet with tears as the visage of his mother and sister greeted him. In moments, the little girl ran at her brother and threw her small arms around his legs. He bent down and picked her up, hugging her tightly as she sobbed. His mother's thin, graceful arms wrapped around her son's athletic frame as they stood crying softly in the beautiful meadow._

 _He wanted to speak but no words came out. They only smiled back at him through teary eyes, hugging and petting his hair. Another figure walked into the picture and his heart stopped upon seeing it was his late father. They stood in a stare down for what seemed like an hour but eventually the tall man reached forth and engulfed his son in a tight hug. Though no words could be expressed, he felt a longing sensation of grief and remorse from his father. His abandonment as a child felt mutually absolved as they released their anger through their embrace. A large metal hand extended down and cupped his back and his heart swelled upon seeing the towering frame of Zero smiling down at him._

* * *

Jed paced down the hall silently. Phiram stood there with Zero in her hands, shaking her head. No more tears came from her eyes as she stared at the clean bed, refusing to believe he was gone. Corporal Karangula had seemingly given up and without further word of where she was going, she decided to take a walk.

Down the hallways she coursed, completely and intentionally lost. She passed rooms upon rooms of soldiers bloodied and screaming in pain yet none of it bothered her. Her fingertips traced the walls, noting the difference in texture as she accessed another ward. She stopped short of a dark room, staring at her reflection looking back at her from the polished floor. What she saw disgusted herself; weary, tired and ugly stared back under bloodshot eyes. Dark hair now matted around her shoulders as dried mud flaked from her legs. Her body urged her to give up yet her soul refused.

She shook her head before tucking herself into the room nearby, clutching Zero's optic tightly.

"I don't know what to say." She began, staring into the blackness. The scent of death lingered all around her and her dry stinging eyes somehow found more tears to pour down her cheeks.

"I tried, really- I did- not that it was enough, though. For that I'm sorry. Nothing could ever be enough to repair the damage I did to you both."

She pressed her back to the wall and slid down the smooth surface, pulling her knees to her chest and laying her head on them. "I'm sorry, Z... I'm..I'm really sorry-"

Mid apology, her eyes caught something familiar sitting on the ground; a pair of Pilot's boots. Something drew her eyes upward as she felt a fire burning within, surging throughout her body and spreading to her fingertips. Upon further inspection she noticed a figure lying in a bed hooked to various oxygen and life machines. She felt it safe to assume they were in a coma. As she rose slowly, still clutching Zero's datacore her heart began to flutter. There lying in the darkness, was none other than Kain.


	8. Divinity

' _DIVINITY'_

With wet eyes she tucked her muddy boots softly beside his and gently crawled into his bed, careful not to disturb him. She tucked her head under his chin, breathing in shakily as her tears fell down his neck. Kain lie now completely motionless and it both saddened and terrified her. She placed a hand atop his head and slowly began to stroke his hair, whispering softly.

 _"You didn't deserve any of this shit I put you through."_

She looked at his peaceful face, giving him a grieving smile as she continued to speak,

 _"I only wanted to protect you from what I knew would inevitably hurt you. My issues were far too great for even myself to comprehend and I knew the devastating consequences of them would eventually break you. That's why I left you-"_

 _"I kept waiting for something to help, some divine force or entity that would magically grant me freedom from these walls I erected so long ago. Never once did I take into consideration that I had the power to break down what I had built up so long ago. You tried to teach me that and I never listened to you. I didn't believe you because I didn't trust you enough-"_

" _After I left Kuiper, I searched the stars looking for answers; something that would bring me to my long awaited happiness and peace with myself. I never found it. I was on the brink of giving up when something brought me down to Typhon, just as it did you to Valor-4. Turns out that happiness I was chasing was with me all along; it was you."_

Phiram's face contorted as she burst out in tears, sobbing audibly against his chest,

 _"When I met with you I wasn't prepared to actually see you again; I had mentally prepped myself beforehand, but when you stood there, mere inches from my face I was scared, scared of what you'd become... what I had made you into. I wanted nothing more than to go back in time and erase every horrible thing I'd done to you - but as we both know, I couldn't do that. I had to face the reality of who you are now and I still continued to run-"_

She brought forth Zero's optic and placed it gently within his limp hands, _"I tore you both apart because of my actions and it wasn't fair."_

They sat in complete silence for a long while, nothing disturbing their peace save for Phiram's sporadic sobbing. She watched him sleep, chest rising and falling while breathing in a soft, rhythmic pattern. Her metal hands ran over his weathered face, tracing every scar and cut both new and old. She never did take the time before to observe just how handsome he was and the realization brought a content smile to her face.

 _"If you wake up from this, I don't expect forgiveness. You don't even have to look at me. Just know that I-"_ Her voice cracked as she fell over him, hand resting atop Zero's datacore as she kissed his cheek, _"I'm setting you free._ _I let you go_ _."_

* * *

 _Kain's family watched as Zero picked him up and set him on his shoulders, just as he'd done as a kid. Somehow he knew they'd wait for him after they'd gone on their trek. The Ronin padded gently through the flowers, his feet kicking up fresh petals and scenting the air._

 _They traversed many rivers and streams, the man reaching a hand down to feel the cool water between his fingers as Zero waded through them with ease. As they cleared the forest, the Titan began to climb into the mountains that loosely resembled the ones back on Typhon. He asked him why they were going upwards but Zero refused to reply._

 _When they crested the peak Kain's body froze up; there in the middle of the plateau stood Phiram, wrapped in a long white dress admist a patch of grass sparkling with fireflies. Behind her stood Kye, chassis polished to a flawless chrome finish. A happy smile graced their faces upon seeing him._

 _He was hesitant but as Zero urged, he made his way to her. Something was different about her, though; her silhouette glowed with a white halo. As he took a step forward, he noticed his hands began to glow with the same white light. Her face retained the same youthful glow as it did the day he met her and his heart instantly caved upon seeing her smile._

 _Much like his family did, she reached out and hugged him - however, this time he felt a deep attraction magnetizing them together. His body began to burn and instantly they were both on fire._

 _Her palms found their way to his and she laced their fingers together. She no longer possessed her prosthetic hands, her skin feeling just a soft as it did the first time he'd touched her. Her hair blew long and beautifully in the wind much like it did on Typhon, and without further inhibition he let himself drown in her._

 _Her lips met his as he took her face into his hands. Her arms pulled around his neck and he embraced her as he did before, longing and missing their time old connection. If this were a dream he didn't want to wake, not anymore. Zero and Kye stood shoulder to shoulder, free of weapons and a soft, happy aura encompassing their chassis. This is how he wanted things to be for the rest of their days._

 _Phiram slowly broke their kiss and looked down sadly. He stroked her hair gently, earning a soft smile in return. She reached down, into her chest and pulled out a glowing chunk of white and cradling it in her hands. He didn't understand. She took the piece of matter and gently pressed it into his chest and in an instant he felt 100%, like the last piece of the puzzle was returned, finishing the whole picture. She smiled through her tears, kissing his hands before backing away. Kye moved with her and Kyle's face contorted in confusion. He tried to run to her but Zero held him back, watching in horror as she backed closer and closer towards the edge._

 _"Why did you do this?" He spoke through his mind, as if they shared a neural link. She only shook her head happily, pointing her hands forward with upward palms,_

 _"For you, my love, I am letting you go."_

 _Seconds later his head fizzed out, the scene before him creaking with static and going black._

* * *

Phiram's sobs had all but dissipated. She had finally allowed herself acceptance of her betrayal in order to let go of the man she still loved with every part of her.

 _"I want you to find peace, wherever you may seek it. May you find someone to make you smile and to take care of you. Zero needs his Pilot and you need him just as much, your friendship is a bond that can never be broken; not by me nor by anyone-"_

 _"The last thing I leave you with is my love; unconditional and everlasting. I will always love you, Kyle, in this life and the next. If your soul happens upon mine the next time around, I promise to do right by you."_

Her lips hovered momentarily above his, the tips of their noses brushing gently. With one last parting deed, she cupped his face and kissed him deeply, letting the last of her tears run down his face. She didn't want to leave, so much of her soul still cried out to mesh with his but she knew it was time. Pulling away slowly she gave his hair one last pat before turning to leave when something grabbed her attention.

She looked back at him and noticed tears running down the sides of his eyes. Her heart burned with fire as she took his hand in hers,

 _"Kyle! If you can hear me, I want you to squeeze my hand."_

She waited for a moment yet nothing happened. Her mind tried to warn her of her futile attempts but again she waited. With every ounce of strength residing within her she asked again, believing that he could make it. Ever so gently his fingertips curled around hers and applied light pressure. Somewhere in there, he was still alive.

Phiram pressed the call button so hard it broke under her metal grip. While she wanted to rush off and physically grab help, she made firm her decision to stay with him -even if it meant it lasted just a little while longer. If he woke up, it would be best if a familiar face was there to reassure him. Jed was still nowhere to be found but no matter how long it would take she would stay by his side. She rested her head upon his chest, placing a hand on Zero's datacore. Her other hand never left his, her thumb slowly stroking the back of his hand. She closed her eyes, savoring their last moments together.

She must have dozed off because when she came to, someone was petting her hair. Her eyes looked around distraught, straining through the black room. She looked to Kain who was ever so gently running a hand over her hair. His eyes were still closed, but he was trying his best to wake up.

 _"Kain?"_ She whispered, nudging his shoulder gently. No response.

She tried again, "Kyle?"

Still nothing. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, hoping to stir something within. His head rolled lazily to the side as his lips brushed against hers. Somehow, he kissed her and without further care Phiram captured his mouth in hers, finally allowing herself to be happy, no matter how brief it would be.

Footsteps filled the quiet hallway outside as Jed and a few nurses found them. The Grapple Pilot held his arm out to stop them from interrupting their moment, knowing the bittersweet feeling of losing a loved one all too well. Kain's grip on Zero's datacore tightened as his eyes slowly fluttered open. He saw Phiram leaning over him, her eyes closed and peaceful, her mouth still locked with his. By the time she realized he was awake, he was smiling at her with tears beading at the corners of his eyes.

 _"Hello."_

A big grin spread from ear to ear on Phiram as she cupped his jaw in her hand. He had come back.

 _"Hi, you."_

Jed slowly walked in behind both nurses as they quickly went to check his vitals. They couldn't believe it; the man had come out of this state without any injury. A woman leaned over the bed, checking his pulse and shining a light into his eyes. His hand tightened around Phiram's, his eyes never leaving hers. One of the nurses grabbed his attention, asking him some personal information.

"I am going to ask you some questions, is that alright Pilot?" He nodded compliantly.

"When is your birthday?" She asked,

"Today's my birthday." He laughed, smiling as Jed removed his helmet and sat down beside Phiram. Kain looked around at all of them before noticing Zero was with them, too. His cognizance was a little slow, but that was to be expected after coming out of a coma.

"Okay, that's a start, can you please tell us your name?"

Kain looked at her with the most pleased look on his face. For the first time in a long time, he'd never been more sure of anything in his life,

"Phillips. My name is Kyle Phillips."


End file.
